Conclusions

This FAAST Review was Meant to:

1. Describe how sheep and goat producers and their veterinarians can practice antimicrobial stewardship without compromising animal health and welfare.
2. Discuss the importance of judicious antimicrobial use and a veterinarian-client-patient-relationship because of the lack of on-label medications for use in sheep and goats.
3. Review how producers can tackle mastitis through managing the environment and the use of bacterial culture to ensure proper antimicrobial use and therapy.

After this FAAST Review, You Should Now Know:

Section 1:

• The importance of a veterinarian-client-patient-relationship to establish protocols for extra-label drug use
• Considerations for extra -label drug use in sheep and goat species and the importance of determining an appropriate withdrawal time with your veterinarian
• Only veterinarians can prescribe antimicrobial medications for use in sheep and goats as most products do not have instructions for sheep and goats. This includes provision of an appropriate withdrawal time for milk and meat

Section 2:

• The challenges associated with anthelmintic resistance and the impacts on the health and performance of sheep and goats
• The lifecycle of gastrointestinal nematodes and times of year they are most problematic
• How to use the Five Point Check and other physical examination parameters to determine if your herd of flock may be affected by gastrointestinal nematodes
• Management strategies to reduce gastrointestinal nematode exposure and how to use anthelmintic medications appropriately

Section 3:

• How to identify the clinical signs of mastitis, and differentiating between clinical and subclinical mastitis
• How to collect an aseptic milk sample for determination of the causative pathogen
• Management tips to prevent the development and spread of mastitis pathogens within your flock or herd