One of the most critical elements for maintaining animal health is good diagnostics — the tests and procedures that help veterinarians identify diseases. While this is important for pets and pet owners, it’s crucial for both the livelihoods of Alberta’s farmers and ranchers and the health of their livestock
As the human and veterinary medical worlds increasingly try to avoid antibiotics as the first line of treatment in order to combat antibacterial resistance, diagnostics become all the more important.
“We're changing our practices when it comes to livestock health, increasing the awareness of what diseases are in our populations, and strategically using antibiotics,” says Dr. Ashley Whitehead, DVM, associate dean, clinical programs at the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM), who has been championing the expansion of the faculty’s Diagnostic Services Unit (DSU).
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Image via University of Calgary.