The American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) is offering its members and all veterinarians who work with cattle COVID-19 resources, saying they are part of a critical-infrastructure industry.

Veterinarians serve a critical role in assisting their livestock clients to continue to produce safe, wholesome milk and meat and care for their animals amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the group says.

 “While the priority for all of us is to make sure that everyone stays safe and healthy, it is also our responsibility to maintain animal health and welfare and try to make sure that clients are able to keep producing an ample, safe and secure food supply,” says AABP President Dr. Calvin Booker.

Booker notes that there are three main roles of AABP and organized veterinary medicine during this crisis:

AABP is working with the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), National Milk Producers Federation and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association on communications to stakeholders and members about COVID-19, says AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich. “We are having these conversations with our members and advocating that veterinary medicine is an essential service in the bigger food industry, and that we want to keep our employees and clients safe as well during this time.”

AABP COVID-19 recommendations

AABP has developed a set of recommendations for cattle veterinarians and their clients. The document is called Resources for Cattle Veterinarians Regarding the COVID-19 Outbreak. It is available through the AABP website.

The recommendations include COVID-19 prevention in veterinary practices as well as on client farms. Also included in the recommendations are suggestions and resources for identifying stress or mental health issues in practice or with clients on-farm.

AABP COVID-19 Podcast

An AABP podcast featuring AABP’s Dr. Fred Gingrich, AABP president and feedlot veterinarian Dr. Calvin Booker, AABP treasurer and dairy veterinarian Dr. Brian Reed, and dairy veterinarian Dr. Eric Rooker. They discussed how to handle financial aspects of rural practices during this pandemic, how to work with clients under new biosecurity recommendations, how to keep practice and farm/ranch employees safe, about tele-medicine opportunities and other topics, including how to help clients continue to do “business as usual” as well as they can.

Search "AABP" on the platform you use to listen to podcasts, such as Google Podcast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, or find it directly at https://www.buzzsprout.com/814177.

Source: AABP, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.