Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Multi-drug resistant bacteria in open wounds of dogs and cats
By Nolff, M C et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2016·Clinic for Small Animal Surgery and Reproduction, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Assessment of wound bio-burden and prevalence of multi-drug resistant bacteria during open wound management.
Plain-English summary
A study looked at the types of bacteria found in open wounds on dogs and cats, comparing them to bacteria from bite wounds. Most open wounds had bacteria present at the start of treatment, and while the number of infections dropped during therapy, many still had multi-drug-resistant bacteria. In contrast, bite wounds had fewer bacteria and a much lower rate of multi-drug-resistant infections. The findings suggest that open wounds may require different treatment approaches, especially given the prevalence of tough-to-treat bacteria.
People also search for: dog open wound infection treatment · cat bite wound bacteria · multi-drug resistant bacteria in pets
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe the bacterial bio-burden of open-treated wounds and make comparisons with bite wounds. DESIGN: Retrospective multicentre study. SAMPLE: Microbial culture between 2011 and 2013 from open-treated wounds in dogs and cats (initiation of therapy n=88, follow-up n=52) were compared to those from bite wounds (n=184). PROCEDURES: Bacteria were identified and tested for antibiotic susceptibility by two accredited laboratories. RESULTS: In total, 77/88 (88%) of open-treated wounds yielded positive bacterial cultures at the beginning of treatment, decreasing to 27/52 (52%) during treatment. Upon initial evaluation, 42/88 (48 %) of open-treated wounds were considered infected with multi-drug-resistant bacteria, with a drop to 22/52 (41%) during therapy. Bite wounds yielded fewer positive cultures 88/184 (48%) with only 11/182 (6%) being affected by multi-drug-resistant bacteria. Bacteria found most commonly in open-treated wounds were Enterococcus subspecies, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus pseudintermedius and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. CONCLUSION: The bacterial populations of open-treated wounds differed markedly from the bite wounds. The high incidence of multi-drug-resistant strains in open wounds highlights the need for alternatives to antibiotics.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27101415/