Antibiotics Given to Farm Animals-- Dangerous for the Animals and Humans

I recently got the latest e-newsletter from Mercy for Animals Canada that included a link to an article on their website about the use of antibiotics on Canadian factory farms.


"...healthy farmed animals are routinely administered antibiotics to prevent them from becoming sick from the cramped and squalid factory farms in which they spend their lives. These antibiotics can be purchased along with fencing and footwear from farm supply stores.
"According to the World Health Organization, unless antibiotic use is curtailed, today's treatable infections will become tomorrow's deadly illnesses."
You can read the rest of the article here: http://www.mfablog.ca/2014/07/antibiotic-misuse-runs-rampant-on-canadian-factory-farms.html




Photo from Farm Sanctuary website

Antibiotics are known to cause harm to the human gut biome by killing probiotics. The "farm" animals almost certainly would experience health problems caused by the routine antibiotics as well.
Some people would argue that animals kept for food should be raised on "natural", "free-range" farms, so that human health isn't adversely affected and the animals don't suffer as much as they are suffering now. It's great that these people can see that there is something wrong with the current system, but switching to "natural" meat, milk, and eggs isn't going to solve the problem. Animals are not ours to exploit and "farm" as we wish. They are sentient creatures who deserve to be free.


There is also the fact that there simply isn't enough land or resources on Earth to sustainably feed everyone with animal flesh. According to Worldwatch Institute,


"...as environmental science has advanced, it has become apparent that the human appetite for animal flesh is a driving force behind virtually every major category of environmental damage now threatening the human future—deforestation, erosion, fresh water scarcity, air and water pollution, climate change, biodiversity loss, social injustice, the destabilization of communities, and the spread of disease."
See the rest of the in-depth document here: http://www.worldwatch.org/system/files/EP174A.pdf


To make the switch to a vegan diet (if you haven't done so already!), please see www.ChooseVeg.com or www.ChooseVeg.ca, or take out a good book on veganism from the library. There are lots of books to choose from!