Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Antibiotic treatment guidelines for dog skin infections
By Loeffler, Anette et al.·Published in Veterinary dermatology·2025·Department of Clinical Science and Services, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Antimicrobial use guidelines for canine pyoderma by the International Society for Companion Animal Infectious Diseases (ISCAID).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A dog with skin infections, known as pyoderma, often requires antibiotics for treatment. New guidelines suggest that vets should first perform skin tests to identify the best treatment. For mild cases, topical treatments are usually enough, while more severe infections may need oral antibiotics for a couple of weeks. It's important for vets to check the dog's progress and consider underlying issues that might be causing the skin problems. These recommendations aim to improve treatment outcomes while reducing unnecessary antibiotic use.
People also search for: dog skin infection treatment · canine pyoderma antibiotics · how to treat dog skin problems
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Canine pyoderma is one of the most common presentations in small animal practice, frequently leading to antimicrobial prescribing. OBJECTIVES: To provide clinicians with antimicrobial treatment guidelines for staphylococcal pyoderma, including those involving meticillin-resistant staphylococci. Guidance on diagnosing surface, superficial and deep pyoderma and their underlying primary causes, is included. Recommendations aim to optimise treatment outcomes while promoting responsible antimicrobial use. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Evidence was gathered from a systematic literature review of English-language treatment studies for canine pyoderma up to 23 December 2023. Quality was assessed using SORT criteria and combined with authors' consensus evaluation. Recommendations were voted on in an iterative process, followed by a Delphi-style feedback process before final agreement by the authors. RESULTS: Cytology should be performed in all cases before antimicrobials are used. Topical antimicrobial therapy alone is the treatment-of-choice for surface and superficial pyodermas. Systemic antimicrobials should be reserved for deep pyoderma and for superficial pyoderma when topical therapy is not effective. Systemic therapy, with adjunctive topical treatment, is initially provided for 2 weeks in superficial and 3 weeks in deep pyoderma, followed by re-examination to assess progress and manage primary causes. First-choice drugs have expected efficacy against the majority of meticillin-susceptible Staphylococcus pseudintermedius; for all other drugs, laboratory testing should confirm susceptibility and exclude suitability of safer alternatives. As culture and susceptibility testing are essential for rationalising systemic therapy, laboratories and practices should price them reasonably to encourage use. Proactive topical therapy using antiseptics may help prevent recurrences. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The accessibility of the skin offers excellent, achievable opportunities for antimicrobial stewardship.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40338805/