By Rob Eirich, UNL Extension Educator and Nebraska Director of BQA
Beef producers are committed to producing a high quality, safe and wholesome beef product. A commitment to herd health and veterinary input is critical to achieving this goal. To this end, developing a Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship (VCPR) is important and will benefit all aspects of cattle performance. A Veterinarian’s working understanding of cattle disease and parasites can help cattle raisers develop targeted vaccination and treatment programs. The VCPR is important to opening the door for cattle producers to get the most from their relationship with a veterinarian.
Over-the-counter (OTC) health products that can be purchased by producers, but input from their veterinarian can improve the value the beef producer receives from OTC products. Additionally, there are prescription (Rx) medications that require veterinary involvement to acquire and use and without a strong VCPR, veterinarians cannot legally write prescriptions. But beyond the legal issue, involving a veterinarian and helping them gain a good understanding of a herd can improve the value received from Rx medications.
Bottom line, today’s beef cattle producers can get the most of the vaccines and medications used in their herd health plan by developing a strong relationship with a veterinarian. A veterinarian that understands the operation, plus knows the local diseases and parasites can be a valuable asset.
For more information about Nebraska Beef Quality Assurance or to get BQA certification, contact Rob Eirich, UNL Extension Educator and Nebraska Director of BQA at the UNL Panhandle Research and Extension Center 308.632.1230 or reirich2@unl.edu.
For more UNL Beef information go to http://beef.unl.edu