Canadian Quality Milk On-Farm Food Safety Program - Centre ...

Canadian Quality Milk
Introduction
Access to a range of livestock medicines, vaccines and treatments helps Canadian
dairy producers maintain the health and productivity of dairy cattle. Access carries with
it a responsibility to ensure the products are stored and used so that the health and
safety of treated animals, the producer and consumers are assured. Work with your
herd veterinarian to evaluate your current livestock medicines usage.
Products commonly used as livestock medicines on dairy farms are:
• Biological products: (biologics) medicines obtained from animal or plant tissue.
The biologics most commonly used on dairy farms are vaccines and
immunoglobulin (antibody) preparations.
• Pharmaceuticals: medicines obtained by creating, mixing or compounding
chemicals. Pharmaceuticals commonly used on dairy farms include antibiotics,
corticosteroids, mastitis treatments, hormones, disinfectants and parasiticides.
• Veterinary Natural Health Products (vNHPs): alternatives to traditional
medicines, these preparations are sourced from naturally occurring substances,
usually plant based, and include homeopathic remedies.
• Medical Devices: instruments or compounds applied to cattle or placed in the
udder that have a mechanical function but contain no active ingredients.
Drugs are identified by both their brand and generic names. The brand name is the
distinctive name given to products by the manufacturer. The generic name refers to the
active ingredient of the livestock medicine.
Drugs are regulated separately from feeds. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is
responsible for regulating feed for animals through the Feeds Act. Schedule IV of the
Feeds Act lists all of the approved feeds for livestock. The list provides producers with a
reference on which feeds they can freely provide to cattle and which feeds are
excluded.
June 2010 4—3