Antimicrobial Use in Animals
Position
The CVMA recognizes the public health implications of antimicrobial use in veterinary medicine and takes the responsibility of protecting both animal and human health and welfare very seriously.
The CVMA supports and encourages all veterinarians to use antimicrobials prudently.
The veterinarian is in the best position to assess the benefit /risk ratio of antimicrobial use in animals. Veterinarians must explain to their clients the importance of prudent use of antimicrobials. Veterinarians must achieve a balance between maximizing animal health and welfare, minimizing bacterial resistance, and conserving antimicrobial efficacy.
Background
Veterinarians engage in research and educational programs supporting the art and science of prudent use of antimicrobials to prevent antimicrobial resistance. Veterinarians have a unique responsibility in ensuring health, and are committed to improving the health and welfare of the animals they treat in a manner that also protects human health. The CVMA strongly supports a “One Health – One Medicine” approach that brings the expertise of veterinary and human health sciences together to collaborate on critical cross-cutting health issues, such as prudent antimicrobial use and how it relates to the control of antimicrobial resistance. The goal is to improve health for both groups: animals and humans. The CVMA promotes general and specific guidelines for the prudent use of antimicrobials by the veterinary profession.
The CVMA recognizes that the emergence of antimicrobial resistance is a global concern. The CVMA holds that the human medical, veterinary medical, agricultural, and regulatory communities must work co-operatively to minimize the emergence and continued spread of antimicrobial resistance. The use of some antimicrobials in animals may result in an unjustified higher risk of antimicrobial resistance, particularly sub-therapeutic and growth promotional antimicrobial use in feed, water, and at the hatchery level.
Antimicrobials used in animals should only be used within the confines of a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR). Antimicrobials approved for the treatment of the diagnosed condition should be used whenever possible. The dose, frequency, and duration stated on the label should be followed whenever possible. Antimicrobials should not be used in an “extra-label” manner unless there is evidence-based support for efficacy, dosage regimen, indication, and withdrawal times. The withdrawal times can be established in consultation with the Canadian Global Food Animal Residue Avoidance Database (CgFARAD). If an antimicrobial is selected for extra-label use, the veterinarian must provide (in writing) the appropriate information on dose, route, frequency, duration, and withdrawal time (if applicable) to avoid any risk to human health. When using extra-label antimicrobials, veterinarians should select, where possible, antimicrobials of lesser importance as per the Veterinary Drug Directorate’s “Categorization of Antimicrobials based on their importance in Human Medicine.”
References
1. CVMA Antimicrobial Prudent Use Guidelines 2008 for Beef Cattle, Dairy Cattle, Poultry and Swine. Available from http://canadianveterinarians.net/Documents/Resources/Files/1211_11385_CVMA_pug_e_web.pdf Last accessed May 4, 2009.
2. CVMA General Guidelines on the Prudent Use of Antimicrobial Drugs in Animals 1999. Available from http://canadianveterinarians.net/Documents/Resources/Files/85_Resources_Prudent-Use-of-Antimicrobial-Drugs-in-Animals.pdf Last accessed May 4, 2009.
3. Final Report to Health Canada of the Advisory Committee on Animal Uses of Antimicrobials and Impact on Resistance and Human Health. Available from http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/alt_formats/hpfb-dgpsa/pdf/pubs/amr-ram_final_report-rapport_06-27-eng.pdf Last accessed May 4, 2009
4. American Veterinary Medical Association One Health Initiative Task Force: Final Report July 15, 2008. Available from http://www.avma.org/onehealth/onehealth_final.pdf Last accessed May 4, 2009.
5. Veterinary Drug Directorate’s (VDD) Categorization of Antimicrobial Drugs Based on their importance in Human Medicine (Table 23). Available from http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/consultation/vet/consultations/amr_ram_hum-med_e.html Last accessed May 4, 2009.
(Revised November 2009)