Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How UK vets treat bacterial skin infections in dogs
By J. Summers et al.·Published in BMC Veterinary Research·2014·View original on Semantic Scholar →
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Original publication title: Prescribing practices of primary-care veterinary practitioners in dogs diagnosed with bacterial pyoderma
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that 683 out of 54,600 dogs visiting UK veterinary practices were diagnosed with bacterial skin infections known as pyoderma. Most of these dogs were treated with antibiotics, with common medications including amoxicillin-clavulanate and cefalexin. However, many dogs received these medications for less than the recommended duration, and some were given doses lower than what is typically advised. This suggests that while antibiotics are commonly used for treating pyoderma, there may be inconsistencies in how they are prescribed.
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Abstract
BackgroundConcern has been raised regarding the potential contributions of veterinary antimicrobial use to increasing levels of resistance in bacteria critically important to human health. Canine pyoderma is a frequent, often recurrent diagnosis in pet dogs, usually attributable to secondary bacterial infection of the skin. Lesions can range in severity based on the location, total area and depth of tissue affected and antimicrobial therapy is recommended for resolution. This study aimed to describe patient signalment, disease characteristics and treatment prescribed in a large number of UK, primary-care canine pyoderma cases and to estimate pyoderma prevalence in the UK vet-visiting canine population.ResultsOf 54,600 dogs presented to 73 participating practices in 2010, 683 (1.3%) had a pyoderma diagnosis recorded in available electronic patient record (EPR) data. Antimicrobials were dispensed in 97% of cases and most dogs were prescribed systemic therapy (92%). Agents most frequently prescribed were amoxicillin-clavulanate, cefalexin, clindamycin and cefovecin. Systemic antimicrobials were prescribed for fewer than 14 days in around 40% of study cases reviewed in detail. Prescribed daily doses were below minimum recommended daily dose (MRDD) in 26% of 43 dogs with sufficient information for calculation of minimum dose.ConclusionsAntimicrobial prescribing behaviour for treatment of canine pyoderma was variable but frequently appeared inconsistent with current recommendations. Use of clinical data from primary practice EPRs can provide valuable insight into common clinical conditions and associated prescribing.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Semantic Scholar: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/25293803