Fun Fact Friday~I Believe in Antibiotics!!

Fun Fact Friday~ I Believe in Antibiotics!

I have been fighting pneumonia and I was prescribed an Antibiotic to get me well. Antibiotics are important for all of us and for all of our animals.

This week is World Antibiotics Awareness Week and I decided to share a few of my thoughts about antibiotics.

Antibiotics stewardship should be practiced by everyone. Right?

Well you may ask, what is antibiotic stewardship?

The definition of antibiotic stewardship:

Antimicrobial stewardship is a coordinated program that promotes the appropriate use of antimicrobials (including antibiotics), improves patient outcomes, reduces microbial resistance, and decreases the spread of infections caused by multidrug-resistant organisms. Misuse and overuse of antimicrobials is one of the world’s most pressing public health problems. Infectious organisms adapt to the antimicrobials designed to kill them, making the drugs ineffective. People infected with antimicrobial-resistant organisms are more likely to have longer, more expensive hospital stays, and may be more likely to die as a result of an infection. (http://www.apic.org/Professional-Practice/Practice-Resources/Antimicrobial-Stewardship)

With that being said, antibiotics are very important to all of us and our animals.

Antibiotics heal.
Antibiotics are a necessary.

But….
We must use them right.
We must understand how they work.

And….
If you have questions please ask someone that knows.  Not a funny article on the web. Ask your doctor, ask a veterinarian and/or ask your neighbor that deals with it everyday.

The facts are:
The FDA(Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine), the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) and the NARMS (National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System) monitor the antimicrobial resistance in human specimen, retail meats, and food animals. (http://www.ars.usda.gov/Main/docs.htm?docid=6750)

If you still need more information, check out these great blogs that explain antibiotics in the Ag communities!

Ask a Farmer – How are Antibiotics Used In Cattle by Ryan Goodman
Resisting Antibiotic Resistance By Family, Family and Beef

My conclusion is that I am thankful for antibiotics. I believe in antibiotics.  I am thankful that veterinarians and doctors can prescribe antibiotics to mend my family and my animals.

My family’s health depends on using antibiotics right.

My herd of ranch animals depend on safe antibiotic use.  My 400 head of bovine depend on our practice of safe antibiotics use. We continue to consult with our veterinarian and our doctors.

I can assure you that when you eat supper tonight, that the meat on your table is healthy and nutritious.

Happy Friday, dear friends.

Have a good weekend.

Dura-Pen a antibiotic for Beef Cattle. So when one of our bovine(Calf) is sick, running a fever, has snot coming out his nose, then I can rest assured that by giving him an antibiotic he will be healthy in no time.

When one of our kids has a fever, green snot and a bad cough, I am thankful for a antibiotics prescribed to them.  I can rest assured that they will be healthy in no time.