To support producers seeking information on animal health and to compliment quality assurance programming, a number of educational resources and manuals have been developed. For example, VBP+ producer manuals are available to all producers regardless if the producer is certified under VBP+. The various sections of the manuals provide detailed information on animal health, including use of livestock medicines and antimicrobials, animal nutrition, animal care, biosecurity, etc. These manuals can be found at http://www.verifiedbeef.ca/producer-resources/producer-reference-manual.cfm. In addition, producers can find an online portal for the Compendium of Veterinary Products developed by Canadian Cattle Association and Merck Animal Health (http://www.verifiedbeef.ca/producer-resources/important-resources-links.cfm).
Feedlot producers in Ontario can also utilize the OCFB Quality Assurance manual developed by the Ontario Cattle Feeders’ Association. The OCFB manual includes a focus on animal care and animal health topics, such as use of veterinary medicines, antimicrobials, purchase and storage, etc. This manual can be found at https://ontariocornfedbeef.com/ocfb-qa-manual/.
In regards to the Livestock Medicines Education Program, it was offered by the Ontario government to help promote the responsible use and safe handling of antimicrobials on farms. The voluntary course focused on the role of veterinarians, understanding medicines and associated regulations, withdrawal times, proper injections, and other related topics. After the course was discontinued, it later became available at the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown Campus for a fee, however, as of January 1, 2023, the course is no longer available due to low demand.
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