By Trish Svoboda

When tackling a building project, having a plan and using the right tools can save time and improve results. Similarly, veterinarians carefully select antibiotics for cattle, as explained by experts from Kansas State University’s Beef Cattle Institute on a recent Cattle Chat podcast.

According to K-State veterinarian Brian Lubbers, antibiotics are chemicals that inhibit bacterial growth or replication. They work in various ways, some disrupt bacterial cell wall growth, others inhibit protein synthesis, and some interfere with DNA and RNA replication.

To understand why a particular antibiotic is chosen for one bacterium over another, producers should consult their local veterinarian. The choice of antibiotic involves various factors beyond the drug’s mechanism of action, including antibiotic resistance and the potential overlap with antibiotics used for human illnesses.

Another important factor in prescribing antibiotics for food animals is withdrawal time. Veterinarians must consider how long antibiotics remain in the animal’s system before harvest to ensure that they are free of harmful residues when entering the human food chain. For detailed information on how each antibiotic functions, veterinarians recommend reading the product labels.

“Producers often get questions from consumers, so those who are educated about antibiotic use are able to better portray how we practice antibiotic stewardship,” Lubbers said.