Economic importance of antibiotic sale for private food animal practices in Switzerland – example veal production

Abstract

The use of antibiotics in Swiss veal production is considered an established method for controlling bacterial infectious diseases. Although the veterinary profession aims to ensure animal welfare, the veterinary business income needs to be ensured at the same time. Against the background of increasing problems with resistant pathogens in human and veterinary medicine, the use of antibiotics should be significantly reduced and used more selectively. The associated economic consequences for food animal practitioners are unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the economic importance of antibiotic sale volume for private food animal practitioners in veal production. An anonymized questionnaire was sent to 120 mixed veterinary practices in Switzerland, which offered services to veal and beef cattle farmers. Questions involved the pharmaceutical sale volume, details on veterinary invoices from three farms with average, below and above average animal health throughout 2017. Twenty-nine complete questionnaires (response rate: 24.2%) and veterinary invoices of 84 farms were returned. The study is not representative, but it allows a rough assessment of the economic framework in Swiss livestock practice. The majority of the total turnover with livestock farms was generated by the sale of antibiotics (54%). Antibiotic sales per animal were higher as expected in farms with a below-average animal health than in farms with an average or above-average animal health. Consulting services turnover contributed only 0.5% to the total sale volume in veal farming. The results document, that antibiotic reduction measurements in veal and beef production will have economic consequences for veterinary livestock practices. In the medium term, the profitable existence of livestock veterinary practice requires a change to cost based consulting services.