Happy N' Healthy
About Antibiotics
Since antibiotics were first discovered over six decades ago, they have saved countless numbers of human and animal lives. Unfortunately, today antibiotics are not being used only for the therapeutic purposes for which they were intended, but also as growth enhancers in feeds for animals including beef, pork and chicken. In the opinion of many leading scientific and medical organizations, this non-therapeutic use must be eliminated if we ever hope to control the growth of antibiotic resistant bacteria.
According to the U.S. Surgeon General, antimicrobial resistance is neither surprising or new, but it is newly worrying because the problem is spreading rapidly. Antimicrobial drugs kill the sensitive pathogens, but the resistant ones survive, and with time, the resistant ones predominate.
Since 1998, studies have been conducted and papers written by the World Health Organization, FDA, Union of Concerned Scientists, National Environmental Health Association and the New England Journal of Medicine to mention a few.
One of the conclusions reached in a 1998 study done by the National Research Council Institute of Medicine titled "The Use of Drugs in Food Animals: Benefits and Risks" was that "There is no doubt that the passage of antibiotic resistance bacteria from food animals to humans occurs." "A demonstrable link can be found between the use of antibiotics in food animals, development of resistant microbes in those animals, and the zoonotic spread of pathogens to humans" and other animals.
So, what does all this mean for your pet dog? As is the case with humans, your pet also relies on antibiotics for the effective treatment of many diseases. And like in humans, the efficacy of these antibiotics in pets is being challenged due to overuse. Virtually all commercially produced livestock in this country are given antibiotics as a growth promotant. These same animals are then used to make most of the dog foods, chews and treats that are on the market today. As your dog consumes these products, it is potentially increasing the level of antibiotic resistant bacteria in its body. The result could be that when treatment with antibiotics is really needed, they may be ineffective.
The only way to be sure that the product you are buying for your dog does not contain antibiotics is to look for the statement "Certified no antibiotics or added hormones" on the label, as is the case with Happy N' Healthy dog bones and treats. This is your assurance that the products are indeed free of all antibiotics and added hormones from birth.
