Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How Illinois vets decide on antibiotics for dog and cat infections
By Yudhanto, Setyo et al.·Published in Zoonoses and public health·2024·Department of Pathobiology, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Assessing Illinois companion animal veterinarians' antimicrobial prescription practices and the factors that influence their decisions when treating bacterial infections in dogs and cats.
Plain-English summary
Veterinarians in Illinois reported that skin infections are the most common reason they prescribe antibiotics for dogs and cats. They consider the severity of symptoms and results from tests that identify the bacteria when deciding on treatment. Many veterinarians are aware of guidelines for antibiotic use and face challenges related to pet owners' compliance, treatment costs, and how medications are given. This study highlights the importance of responsible antibiotic use to prevent resistance in pets.
People also search for: dog skin infection treatment · cat ear infection antibiotics · why is my dog scratching · cost of dog antibiotics · how to give cat medication
Abstract
AIMS: Judicious antimicrobial use in companion animal practice is critical for maintaining the effectiveness of antimicrobial agents against bacterial infections and reducing the selection of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. This study aimed to provide insights into companion animal veterinarians' antimicrobial treatment recommendations for common bacterial infections in dogs and cats and describe the factors influencing their prescription choices. METHODS AND RESULTS: An online survey using QualtricsXM® software was administered between September and November 2022 to companion animal veterinarians who were Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association members. Descriptive and text analyses were conducted to assess the participants' responses. A total of 78 surveys were included in the analysis. Skin infections were ranked as the most common bacterial infections for which veterinarians prescribed antimicrobial agents, followed by ear, urinary tract, respiratory, and enteric infections. The severity of clinical symptoms and the results of bacterial culture and susceptibility tests were the most influential factors for veterinarians when making antimicrobial prescription choices. Veterinarians were aware of the current antimicrobial prescription guideline recommendations when prescribing antimicrobials empirically to nine hypothetical scenarios of bacterial infections. According to the results of the text analysis that assessed veterinarians' responses to an open-ended question, regarding their challenges when prescribing antimicrobial agents, the pairwise correlation of word frequencies within each response showed the highest correlations between the words 'owner' and 'compliance', 'administration' and 'route', 'cost' and 'culture', and 'patients' and 'acceptance'. CONCLUSIONS: The study results can support animal health stakeholders in the development of antimicrobial stewardship programmes to promote appropriate antimicrobial use and limit the emergence of antimicrobial resistance.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39044541/