FDA prescription VFD foulbrood Tylosin/Terramycin

Excerpts and links of interest to Beekeepers
Post Reply
User avatar
BadBeeKeeper
Site Admin
Posts: 144
Joined: April 2nd, 2016, 2:01 pm
Location: Penobsot County, Maine

FDA prescription VFD foulbrood Tylosin/Terramycin

Unread post by BadBeeKeeper »

For beekeepers in the Bangor, ME area, I have been talking with Penobscot Veterinary Services ( http://penobscotvet.com/ ) and Dr. Miles has agreed to handle house/farm calls for beekeepers should it become necessary in order to obtain Tylan/Tylosin or Terramycin/oxytetracycline for foulbrood treatment.

At this point, I do not have a projected cost for this service.

It is also not yet clear whether I or someone else will be providing the education/knowledge necessary to properly diagnose diseases, or if there will be further official requirements regarding such education.
User avatar
BDT123
Forum Regular
Posts: 242
Joined: December 3rd, 2016, 6:47 pm
Location: Drayton Valley, AB

Re: FDA prescription VFD foulbrood Tylosin/Terramycin

Unread post by BDT123 »

BBK, our Provincial Apiculturist has indicated that Alberta may be considering restriction on "meds" for bees, sounds like oxytet in particular. I think they want beeks to stop prophylactic treatments for AFB. We'll see what evolves. Maybe too much residual showing up in honey? Don't know the driver... More to come I guess. No requirement for a vet at this time. So far...
User avatar
BadBeeKeeper
Site Admin
Posts: 144
Joined: April 2nd, 2016, 2:01 pm
Location: Penobsot County, Maine

Re: FDA prescription VFD foulbrood Tylosin/Terramycin

Unread post by BadBeeKeeper »

While I *have* treated prophylacticly on new nucs coming from a large migratory beekeeper, I don't do it as a general practice. I don't know anyone who does. Treatments cost money, and I don't want to spend that money for no reason.

As far as I can tell, the government got fired up to put this in place because of concerns related to other farm animals, and beekeepers are getting caught up in it as collateral damage, they weren't being targeted specifically for any reason. I have never heard of it being found in honey (though that doesn't necessarily mean it hasn't happened), and if the treatment protocol is followed correctly it *shouldn't* be found in honey.

We're just getting screwed because of things other people may have done with other animals, and we haven't been able to get ourselves untangled from the red tape. The government sometimes likes to paint with a broad brush, with little concern for those who get caught up in it unnecessarily.
User avatar
BDT123
Forum Regular
Posts: 242
Joined: December 3rd, 2016, 6:47 pm
Location: Drayton Valley, AB

Re: FDA prescription VFD foulbrood Tylosin/Terramycin

Unread post by BDT123 »

So, on the Alberta Apiculture web page there is PowerPoint /pdf slide show from the recent IPM workshop up here. Not much meat in the text but it looks like this is a global mission to prevent 'abuse' of anti-microbials. Looks like a done deal up here. Lots of bureaucrats will have nice jobs and indexed pensions. Veterinarians will get some extra business, not that they need it.
And yes, BBK, aimed at all livestock. In Alberta, bees are livestock.
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department ... l/prm13239
User avatar
Countryboy
Forum Regular
Posts: 605
Joined: November 8th, 2010, 9:37 pm
Location: Central Ohio
Contact:

Re: FDA prescription VFD foulbrood Tylosin/Terramycin

Unread post by Countryboy »

I know a vet who thinks this is all a bunch of nonsense and fearmongering. he said that veterinary medicines differ from other medicines in that most of the antibiotics vets use, they have been using for 50 years, and they are antibiotics that stuff has never shown a resistance to. They use drugs that are effective.

He said a lot of the problems of antibiotic resistance are from new stuff for humans, and the problem is compounded when people are taking 50 different drugs, causing all kind of side effect reactions. With livestock, you are typically only giving the animal one medicine at a time.
B. Farmer Honey
Central Ohio
Allen Dick
Site Admin
Posts: 1824
Joined: February 25th, 2003, 10:09 pm
Location: Swalwell, Alberta
Contact:

Re: FDA prescription VFD foulbrood Tylosin/Terramycin

Unread post by Allen Dick »

Quite a bit of this fear is due to an outdated and flawed misunderstanding of the development of antibiotic resistance, and in specific places like hospitals and feedlots. As usual, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing and that limited understanding is generalized to create rules that extend far wider than necessary or reasonable.

Although there are some instances where the mechanisms blamed do occur, the preponderance, as I understand it, of resistance develops through mechanisms only recently discovered and accepted.

Horizontal gene transfer is one.
Allen Dick, RR#1 Swalwell, Alberta, Canada T0M 1Y0
51° 33'39.64"N 113°18'52.45"W
http://www.honeybeeworld.com/Allen%27s%20Beehives.kmz
Forum owner/janitor
---
Customise your experience at Honeybeeworld Forum at your User control Panel
Change the appearance and layout with your Board Preferences
Please upload your own avatar picture at Edit Avatar. It's easy!
Return to main diary page
Post Reply