A veterinarian with South West Ontario Veterinary Services says, as livestock producers move to reduce their use of antibiotics, they will be looking to a range of alternative methods for preventing and treating bacterial infections.
To address public concerns over antibiotic resistance the Government of Canada is tightening regulations governing antibiotics use in livestock production.
"Medications-The changing rules" will be among the topics discussed during the London Swine Conference March 27 and 28.
Dr. Greg Wideman, a veterinarian and partner with South West Ontario Veterinary Services, says alternatives to antibiotics is an exciting area to be paying attention to.
Dr. Greg Wideman-South West Ontario Veterinary Services:
Health Canada has opened up the channel through which veterinary health products other than antimicrobials can be registered in Canada and that's going to make it easier for producers to access some of the alternatives that up till now have not been available because registration of those products has been too cumbersome.
So we might see some valuable tools and we could lump them under categories like nutraceuticals or natural health products, essential oils and plant extracts that are proven to have some benefit for their antibiotic or antimicrobial properties.
Those things are going to be coming along and we're going to have good opportunities to test them.
Source : Farmscape