The Europe-wide Zoetis awareness campaign aims to support veterinarians with the responsible use of veterinary antibiotics.

Zoetis’ campaign for the responsible use of antibiotics, launched alongside the European Commission and the European Center for Disease Control (ECDC)’s European Antibiotic Awareness Day initiative – aims to highlight the importance of ensuring that antibiotic medicines are administered correctly.

Antibiotics should be prescribed by vets ‘as little as possible’ in order to avoid inappropriate use but ‘as much as necessary’ to make sure that animals are treated effectively to protect animal health and welfare.

Livestock are kept for food production and safe food can only come from healthy animals. When infection strikes, antibiotics are a critical tool used by vets for the treatment of sick animals.

Zoetis believes that veterinary antibiotics are critical for both animal and human health. Zoetis is committed to safeguarding animal health through enhancing the health and welfare of livestock and poultry, and helping pets live longer, healthier lives.

In addition Zoetis’ veterinary antibiotics contribute to human health by improving the safety, quality, and productivity of the food supply chain.

Commenting on the launch of the programme, Alejandro Bernal, Zoetis Executive Vice President and IFAH Europe Chairman, said: "At Zoetis, we believe antibiotic medicines are a precious resource both for animals and for people.

"By using them responsibly today, we will work to help protect their efficacy tomorrow.

"Veterinarians have a duty to protect the health and welfare of livestock, so that when animals get sick they need to be treated. This is why we are working with vets to ensure that they use antibiotics as little as possible but as much as necessary."

Fighting AMR Responsibly

Jeff Watts, Director, Antimicrobial Research at Zoetis, said: "As long as bacteria exist, we will continue to face challenges of bacterial infectious diseases, in both humans and animals."

He added: "At Zoetis, we have a continuous research programme into the biggest challenges facing animal health (including antibiotic resistance) and provide the most up-to-date guidance on optimal solutions to help the industry to address these challenges."

For veterinarians, responsible use should include an understanding of the risks of antibiotic resistance and adherence to the principle of ‘as little as possible, as much as necessary’. Zoetis will help veterinarians select the most appropriate antibiotic for the animal and its bacterial disease following a diagnosis.

It also encourages veterinary professionals to give tailored instructions to the farmers on its use, including:

• Timely treatment with the correct dose;
• The most effective way to administer the drug;
• The correct length of treatment;
• The correct period of post-treatment withdrawal.