Update on antimicrobial stewardship in dogs and cats
Antimicrobial stewardship is the cornerstone of efforts to curtail antimicrobial resistance. With the rise of antimicrobial resistance and the ever expanding interactions between humans and companion animals, it becomes increasingly important to understand the motivations behind the prescription of antimicrobials in clinical consultations.
This cross-sectional study analyzed about 300,000 voluntary electronic health records from 386 clinical sites from around Great Britain of dogs and cats brought in for disease investigation.
It was found that factors associated with a decreased likelihood of systemic antimicrobial prescription were based on client decisions that focused on preventative health. The top three influential factors were vaccination status of the dog or cat, if the client had pet insurance, and if the practice was accredited by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
According to the data collected, systemic and topical antimicrobials in dogs were prescribed in 25.7% and 14.2% of consultations, respectively. With feline patients, systemic and topical antimicrobial drugs were prescribed in 32.9% and 6.1% of consultations, respectively.
This large companion animal study revealed that client engagement and preventative healthcare both encourage responsible antimicrobial drug use. These results also bring attention to a variety of factors that influence the decision to prescribe these drugs in clinical consultations.
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