The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), Government of India, released the “Standard Veterinary Treatment Guidelines (SVTGs)” for livestock and poultry on October 25, 2024. The SVTGs have been developed in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The guidelines are designed to guide veterinarians, animal health professionals and paraprofessionals, to deliver standardised, rational treatment for a variety of animal diseases, thus ensuring improved animal health and veterinary care across India.
The SVTGs have been developed by a group of around 80 expert veterinarians with extensive field experience. It can also be considered as a “Live” document which will be updated periodically (every 2-3 years) based on field feedback and evolving veterinary practices. To facilitate easy access, the guidelines are also available as a compact digital manual for easy mobile access.
The document presents detailed guidelines for the prevention, diagnosis, and management of animal diseases in large and small ruminants, such as cattle, buffaloes, goats, and sheep; poultry, pigs, camels, equines, mithuns, and yaks.
Each chapter focuses on infectious, non-infectious, or parasitic diseases. For each disease, the document provides details on etiology, clinical signs, diagnosis, treatment, and preventive measures.
Additionally, the document includes recommended treatments with dosage, route, duration of treatment for various drugs also including antimicrobial drugs, withdrawal periods, potential side effects, and decision criteria for first-line treatments. It also provides information on validated ethnoveterinary medicine practices for treatment and better health management for various diseases.
In poultry, the document focuses on viral, bacterial, and parasitic infections that commonly affect poultry health and productivity. Key viral diseases include New Castle Disease, Infectious Bronchitis, Avian Influenza, Infectious Laryngotracheitis, Infectious Bursal Disease (Gumboro), Marek’s Disease, Fowl-pox, etc. For bacterial infections, the document covers Avian Mycoplasmosis, E. coli. infections, Salmonella infections, Infectious Coryza, and Fowl Cholera. Parasitic diseases such as coccidiosis are also addressed. The importance of biosecurity practices to control pathogen spread is also emphasised. Detailed vaccination schedules for various poultry types, including commercial layers, broiler breeders, commercial broilers, and backyard poultry, are included.
Through this initiative, DAHD seeks to curb irrational treatment practices, promote responsible use of veterinary drugs, and encourage compliance on rational antimicrobial use.
For policymakers, the SVTGs offer a framework for assessment of quality of medicines and hence quality of animal health services so that necessary budgetary provisions can be made based on past supply and use.
These SVTGs mark a critical step toward addressing the growing global concern of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which poses risks to both animal and human health. When antibiotics are overused or misused, bacteria develop resistance, making it harder to treat infections in the future. By providing clear guidelines on when and how to use antibiotics, unnecessary prescriptions will be reduced, which will control its misuse. Additionally, the guidelines emphasise preventive measures, such as vaccinations and biosecurity practices, which further help to reduce the need for antibiotics in the first place.