Improving animal health and welfare through industry education and quality assurance programs

Veterinarians profess an obligation and oath to uphold the pro­tection of animal health and welfare through the prevention and relief of animal suffering. When caring for animals des­tined for the food supply, veterinarians practicing on livestock have further responsibilities in food safety and public health. With emerging and ongoing concerns from meat and milk cus­tomers and consumers pertaining to animal welfare, veteri­narians play a key role in producer and employee education to ensure proper care is provided. Verifying practices are being completed is another step where veterinarians can have a posi­tive impact on everyday animal welfare and the quality of the end product. Producer education is a valuable tool for veteri­narians in all sectors of the cattle industry. Industry programs focusing on quality assurance and protocols in areas of animal care and worker safety are integrated into veterinary medicine and the livestock industry already. Learn about these cattle care standards that affect animal health and welfare and how vet­erinarians can integrate the programs into their practice. Stan­dards from AABP, Beef Quality Assurance (BQA), National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) program, and Calf Care & Quality Assurance (CCQA) will be reviewed.