GOOD-VETERINARY-PRACTICES IN PIG FARMING

Compliance with the relevant Austrian legal provisions directed to the use of veterinary medicinal products is an inevitable prerequisit in prophylaxis and treatment of farm animals as veterinarians have to acc ept their responsibility in the production of non-hazardous foods from animal origin. In addition to the legal framework the guidelines devo ted to the principles of Good-Veterinary-Practice (GVP) provide the ba sis for an optimalization of the veterinarians support in the manageme nt of farm animals. Based on an exact diagnosis and considering the re gional resistance pattern as well as the typical feeding and zootechni cal facilities, consequent implementation of GVP will refine and reduc e the use of pharmaceuticals. GVP requests central diagnostic labs (An imal Health Service) as both, active and rational selection of therape utics based on epidemiology and local resistance patterns to pathogens as well as the control of the consequences of the use of pharmaceutic als (residue formation) need to be monitored. The Styrian Animal Healt h Service database is providing routine recordings and evaluation of r esistance patterns for selected antibiotics commonly used in treatment of enteral and pulmonary diseases. This has proven to be a useful too l for the practising veterinarian.