Antibiotics and Withdrawal Periods

Antibiotic use in cattle is more nuanced than a simple yes-or-no label.
One important distinction is between routine production practices and
treating an animal that becomes sick or injured.

Why might cattle need antibiotics?

Cattle can develop bacterial infections and other illnesses that require
treatment. Appropriate treatment can be an important animal-welfare
decision when an animal is sick.

What is a withdrawal period?

A withdrawal period is the required amount of time between the final
treatment with a veterinary drug and when an animal or its products can
enter the food supply. The required period depends on the drug and how it
was used.

What does “raised without antibiotics” mean?

Programs making this type of claim may have specific requirements about
whether antibiotics can be used and what happens to an animal if treatment
becomes medically necessary. In some programs, a treated animal is removed
from that particular marketing stream.

Animal welfare still matters

A production claim should never make consumers assume that a sick animal
should be denied necessary care. A useful question is how the farm balances
treatment, welfare and its marketing program.