California Ranchers Will Need Vet's Prescription To Use Livestock Antibiotics

Dec 22, 2017

By Julia Mitric

In California, ranchers already need a veterinarian's prescription for certain antibiotic treatments for livestock.

But a new law taking effect in January will require a prescription for all medically important antibiotics used to treat health problems in cattle, sheep and other livestock.

University of California Agricultural Natural Resources farm advisor Dan Macon works with ranchers on livestock production in the northern Sacramento Valley and the Sierra foothills.

Macon notes the law doesn't require a vet to be on site for each animal that needs treatment. But there will need to be a veterinary-client-patient relationship.

As Macon explains, that means "the vet knows the operation, knows the rancher and has some idea of the types of animals and types of issues the rancher may be dealing with.

"And so, it does require some semi-annual check in with the vet at the ranch," he adds.

Macon points out that food animal veterinarians have become increasingly rare.

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Video: Sweetener Effects on Gut Health - Dr. Kwangwook Kim

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Kwangwook Kim, Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, discusses the use of non-nutritive sweeteners in nursery pig diets. He explains how sucralose and neotame influence feed intake, gut health, metabolism, and the frequency of diarrhea compared to antibiotics. The conversation highlights mechanisms beyond palatability, including hormone signaling and nutrient transport. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Receptors responsible for sweet taste are present not only in the mouth but also along the intestinal tract.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Kwangwook Kim / kwangwook-kim is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, specializing in swine nutrition and feed additives under disease challenge models. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from the University of California, Davis, where he focused on intestinal health and metabolic responses in pigs. His research evaluates alternatives to antibiotics, targeting gut health and performance in nursery pigs.