Farmers must protect their animals

Agcarm reminds all farm and pet owners of their responsibility to care for the welfare of their animals in recognition of World Animal Day today.

As part of this responsibility, farmers and pet owners can help prevent disease by keeping their animals well fed, physically comfortable, ensuring good husbandry on the farm and by following careful hygiene practices.

Owners must also protect their animals by seeking early diagnosis and treatment of infectious, parasitic and metabolic diseases including lameness and traumatic injuries.

Agcarm chief executive Mark Ross says caring for animals is not just an ethical and moral responsibility, it's a legal one too.

"Prevention and early treatment of disease is crucial to the wellbeing of an animal, as it is to feed and shelter them."

Vaccination is an effective, convenient and easy way to protect animals against many infectious diseases. By safely stimulating an animal's immune system against a specific disease, the animal has a defence against it if it is exposed to that disease later in life.

But because bacteria and other microbes are found everywhere, it is virtually impossible to prevent animals coming into contact with organisms that can cause disease.

Antibiotics are necessary to fight bacterial infections in farm animals. Inflammatory conditions like mastitis and lameness are extremely painful for animals.

Antibiotics also help control a range of painful bacterial conditions in pets such as ear, skin, respiratory and bladder infections.

As far back as records show, people have had strong relationships with animals and have often been dependent on them. In return, we all have a responsibility to respect and care for animals by preventing and treating disease. Owners now also have a legal obligation to avoid suffering.

Agcarm advocates the responsible use of all veterinary medicines to care and maintain the health and wellbeing of all animals.

Agcarm recognises World Animal Day in raising the status of animals by improving welfare standards for animals around the world.

World Animal Day presents a wonderful opportunity for everyone who cares about animals to be seen standing united with animal advocates around the globe, to heighten awareness of animal issues.