Aetiology and local antimicrobial resistance patterns of bacterial pathogens causing dogs urinary tract infections from January 2019 to July 2024 in Split, Croatia

Excessive use of antimicrobials and the increasing occurrence of antimicrobial resistance are major challenges in both human and veterinary medicine. The role of prophylactic antimicrobial therapy in orthopaedic and neurosurgeries in dogs can be questioned. The aim of this study was to evaluate the rate of surgical site infections (SSI) and urinary tract infections (UTI) in dogs after cessation of antibiotics following spinal surgery. Electronic patient records from January 2018 to December 2019 were retrospectively reviewed to identify dogs that underwent spinal surgery (n = 158). Antimicrobial drug use and the presence of SSI and UTI were recorded. Overall, SSI developed in 1.3% of dogs that underwent spinal surgery, while UTI developed in 8.2%. Multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria were detected in 5.1% of dogs. The rates of SSI, UTI and MDR did not differ significantly between dogs that received postoperative antimicrobial therapyandthosethatdidnot. The main limitation of this study was its retrospective design. Overall, the SSI rate in this study was low. Cessation of postoperative antimicrobial use in dogs followingspinal surgery did not havea negative effect on either SSI development or the occurrence of UTI.

To determine effects of cranberry extract on development of urinary tract infection (UTI) in dogs and on adherence of Escherichia coli to Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells. 12 client-owned dogs (in vivo experiment) and 6 client-owned dogs (in vitro experiment). 12 dogs with a history of recurrent UTI received an antimicrobial (n = 6) or cranberry extract (6) orally for 6 months. Dogs were monitored for a UTI. For the in vitro experiment, cranberry extract was orally administered to 6 dogs for 60 days. Voided urine samples were collected from each dog before and 30 and 60 days after onset of extract administration. Urine was evaluated by use of a bacteriostasis assay. An antiadhesion assay and microscopic examination were used to determine inhibition of bacterial adherence to MDCK cells. None of the 12 dogs developed a UTI. The bacteriostasis assay revealed no zone of inhibition for any urine samples. Bacterial adhesion was significantly reduced after culture with urine samples obtained at 30 and 60 days, compared with results for urine samples obtained before extract administration. Microscopic examination revealed that bacterial adherence to MDCK cells was significantly reduced after culture with urine samples obtained at 30 and 60 days, compared with results after culture with urine samples obtained before extract administration. Oral administration of cranberry extract prevented development of a UTI and prevented E coli adherence to MDCK cells, which may indicate it has benefit for preventing UTIs in dogs.

To describe patterns of antimicrobial prescriptions for sporadic urinary tract infections (UTIs) in dogs in the United States from 2010 through 2019, including times before and after publication of International Society for Companion Animal Infectious Disease (ISCAID) guidelines. 461,244 qualifying visits for sporadic UTIs. Veterinary electronic medical records of a private corporation consisting of > 1,000 clinics across the United States were examined to identify canine visits for potential sporadic UTI between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2019. Proportions of antimicrobial prescriptions were graphed by month and year to identify changes in prescription patterns over time. Interrupted time series analysis was performed for the aminopenicillins. A total of 461,244 qualifying visits were examined, with 389,949 (85%) of these resulting in at least 1 antimicrobial prescription. Over the 10-year period, the proportion of visits resulting in no antimicrobial prescription increased (14% in 2010 to 19.7% in 2019). Proportions of prescriptions for amoxicillin (38% to 48%) and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (2.5% to 10%) also increased. Log-linear regression supported that changes in proportions of amoxicillin and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid prescriptions occurred following the 2011 ISCAID guidelines publication, with the proportion of amoxicillin prescriptions increasing by 13% per year (95% CI, 12% to 14%; P < 0.01) and the proportion of amoxicillin-clavulanic acid prescriptions increasing by 0.5% per year (95% CI, 0.2% to 0.8%; P < 0.01). Use of fluoroquinolones and third-generation cephalosporins remained constant. Results suggest that efforts to guide antimicrobial use in veterinary clinical practice are having positive effects in this private veterinary company, though continued efforts are warranted.

To evaluate risk factors for lower urinary tract infection (UTI) in dogs with intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) that had manual expression (ME), indwelling catheterization (IDC) or intermittent catheterization (ITC) for urinary bladder management. Randomized-clinical trial. Dogs (n=62) treated with urinary bladder dysfunction requiring surgery for IVDD and control dogs (n=30) that had surgery for reasons other than IVDD. Treated dogs were randomly assigned to ME, IDC, or ITC. Urine was collected for culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing before and after treatment. Incidence and risk factors for UTI were evaluated. Bacterial isolates and antimicrobial resistance patterns were described. Mean (+/-SD) time to urination was significantly longer for IDC dogs (7.4+/-2.75 days) than ME dogs (4.2+/-2.63) and ITC dogs (4.9+/-3.12). Thirteen treated dogs (21%) and no control dogs developed UTI: 4/25 (16%) ME, 8/25 (32%) IDC, and 1/12 (8%) ITC. Enterobacter sp. was most frequently isolated (4/13; 31%). Duration of treatment was the only risk factor for UTI and each additional day of treatment increased the risk of UTI 1.5 times. For dogs with acute IVDD, the duration of required urinary bladder management establishes the risk of UTI, not the urinary bladder management technique. Duration of treatment for urinary bladder dysfunction is a risk factor for UTI in dogs recovering from acute IVDD. Treatment for urinary bladder management should be limited where possible and no method of treatment is preferred. For dogs managed by IDC, voluntary urination might occur before clinically suspected.

Aim: The objective of this study is to identify the causes of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in dogs and to establish an antibiogram of the isolated organisms. Materials and Methods: Urine samples were collected via catheterization from 51 dogs suspected of having UTIs and admitted to VCC, LUVAS, Hisar. Bacteria were identified in 46 of these samples based on cultural characteristics and confirmed using the Vitek2 compact system. All isolates were subjected to vitro antimicrobial sensitivity testing.Results: The urine samples positive for bacteria showed pure colony growth in 84.78% of cases and mixed growth in 15.21%. Among the 46 positive isolates, 19 (37.25%) were identified as E. coli, 9 (17.64%) as Staphylococcus spp., 4 (7.84%) as Pseudomonas spp., 3 (5.88%) as Klebsiella spp., 2 (3.92%) as Proteus spp., 1 (1.96%) as Acinetobacter lwoffii, and 1 (1.96%) as Cronobacter dublinensis. The isolates exhibited the highest sensitivity to Imipenem (65.32%) and Meropenem (65.04%), while showing complete resistance to Oxytetracycline (100%) and Tetracycline (100%). Conclusion: Among dogs affected by UTIs, E. coli and Staphylococcus spp. were the most frequently isolated gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, respectively. Antimicrobial sensitivity testing showed a notable portion of these bacteria to be resistant to multiple drugs.

The prevalence of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in dogs with Type I intervertebral disc extrusion has been reported as high as 38% within 6 wk of surgery. Proper treatment of a UTI is important with myelopathy because it is a risk factor for persistent infection and reinfection in dogs. The study authors' investigated the incidence of UTIs in dogs having received either cefovecin or cefazolin as a preoperative prophylactic antibiotic for thoracolumbar hemilaminectomy. Thirty-nine dogs were retrospectively identified and assigned to groups based on preoperative antibiotic administration and postoperative urinary tract management. Urinalysis and urine culture performed preoperatively, at 2 wk, and at 6 wk, were reviewed to determine the incidence of UTIs. Urinary tract management, grade of neurologic deficit, time to ambulation, and time to voluntary urination were identified to evaluate for additional risk factors. No significant prevalence of UTI incidence was appreciated between the cefovecin and cefazolin groups. Patients with higher grades of neurologic deficit and that took longer to regain ambulation and voluntary urination were at significantly greater risk for UTIs throughout the postoperative period. This study reemphasizes the importance of continued surveillance for UTIs in patients with prolonged neurologic recovery.

The present study aimed to estimate the proportion of bacterial urinary tract infection (UTI) in dogs and cats, assess risks associated with bacterial UTI, and to determine bacterial isolates' antimicrobial susceptibility and resistance pattern from the urinary tract of dogs and cats with urologic problems. The medical records from animals visiting Chiang Mai University Small Animal Veterinary Teaching Hospital between January 2012 and December 2016 were reviewed. In total, 203 dogs and 49 cats with urinary tract diseases that had samples submitted for bacterial culture were identified;198 and 24 bacterial isolates were recovered from dogs' and cats' submitted samples, respectively. At least one episode of bacterial UTI was detected in 75.4% (95% CI: 69.4-81.3) of dogs and in 40.8% (95% CI: 26.6-55.1) of cats with UTI and submitted urine cultures. Of 242 submitted urinary samples from dogs and 60 urinary samples from cats, bacteria were identified in 74.0% (95% CI: 68.4-79.5) and 38.3% (95% CI: 26.0-50.6), respectively. The most common pathogen of bacteria positive cultured from dogs was Staphylococcus spp. (30.3%), followed by Escherichia coli (16.7%), and Proteus spp. (13.6%). For cats, the most common pathogen was Pseudomonas spp. (25.0%), followed by E.coli (20.8%) and Proteus spp. (16.7%). Staphylococcus spp. isolates from dogs and Proteus spp. isolates from cats were highly susceptible to Amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (AMC) at 88% and 75%, respectively. Of all isolated bacteria, 67.1% of the bacteria from dogs and 83.3% from cats were multidrug-resistant (MDR). The proportion of MDR-bacterial urinary tract infections in dogs and cats with urologic problems in this study was high. This observation raises concerns regarding the potential of zoonotic transmission of MDR-bacteria from these companion animals. The results suggested that AMC remains a good empirical drug for treating UTIs in dogs in this region.

Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a pathogen frequently isolated in cases of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in both humans and dogs and evidence exists that dogs are reservoirs for human infections. In addition, E. coli is associated to increasing antimicrobial resistance rates. This study focuses on the analysis of antimicrobial resistance and the presence of selected virulence genes in E. coli isolates from a Spanish dog population suffering from UTI. This collection of isolates showed an extremely high level of phenotypic resistance to 1st–3rd generation cephalosporins, followed by penicillins, fluoroquinolones and amphenicols. Apart from that, 13.46% of them were considered extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producers. An alarmingly high percentage (71.15%) of multidrug resistant isolates were also detected. There was a good correlation between the antimicrobial resistance genes found and the phenotypic resistance expressed. Most of the isolates were classified as extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli, and two others harbored virulence factors related to diarrheagenic pathotypes. A significant relationship between low antibiotic resistance and high virulence factor carriage was found, but the mechanisms behind it are still poorly understood. The detection of high antimicrobial resistance rates to first-choice treatments highlights the need of constant antimicrobial resistance surveillance, as well as continuous revision of therapeutic guidelines for canine UTI to adapt them to changes in antimicrobial resistance patterns.

ABSTRACTBackgroundEffective treatment of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in dogs and cats relies on timely recognition of antimicrobial resistance, but traditional microbiological culture and susceptibility testing require 48–72 h and can be cost‐prohibitive.ObjectiveTo evaluate a novel, low‐cost broth turbidity test for detecting ampicillin‐resistant UTIs in dogs and cats compared to the gold standard microbiological methods.AnimalsOne hundred sixty urine samples from 145 dogs and 15 cats at the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine.MethodsFrom September 2023 to February 2024, urine samples were tested using an ampicillin‐supplemented Mueller–Hinton broth turbidity test and gold standard culture with Sensititre MIC plates. Sensitivity, specificity, Cohen's κ, and McNemar's test were calculated.ResultsThe broth turbidity test showed 89.47% sensitivity (95% CI: 66.86%–98.72%) and 100% specificity (95% CI: 97.42%–100%) for the detection of ampicillin‐resistant organisms in the urine, with substantial agreement (κ = 0.94, p < 0.001) and no classification difference (p = 0.500). Notably, all 36 samples with ampicillin‐susceptible organisms identified by the gold standard cultures test were correctly identified as negative for ampicillin resistance by the broth turbidity test.ConclusionsThe broth turbidity test's simplicity and affordability make it a promising tool for in‐house use by veterinary practitioners to guide first‐line therapy decisions, though its sensitivity could be limited in cases with low bacterial loads or confounding factors such as recent antibiotic administration.

BackgroundUncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTI) in dogs usually are treated with antimicrobial drugs for 10–14 days. Shorter duration antimicrobial regimens have been evaluated in human patients.HypothesisA high dose short duration (HDSD) enrofloxacin protocol administered to dogs with uncomplicated UTI will not be inferior to a 14-day treatment regimen with amoxicillin-clavulanic acid.AnimalsClient-owned adult, otherwise healthy dogs with aerobic bacterial urine culture yielding ≥103 CFU/mL of bacteria after cystocentesis.MethodsProspective, multicenter, controlled, randomized blinded clinical trial. Enrolled dogs were randomized to group 1 (enrofloxacin 18–20 mg/kg PO q24h for 3 days) or group 2 (amoxicillin-clavulanic acid 13.75–25 mg/kg PO q12h for 14 days). Urine cultures were obtained at days 0, 10, and 21. Microbiologic and clinical cure rates were evaluated 7 days after antimicrobial treatment was discontinued. Lower urinary tract signs and adverse events also were recorded.ResultsThere were 35 dogs in group 1 and 33 in group 2. The microbiologic cure rate was 77.1 and 81.2% for groups 1 and 2, respectively. The clinical cure rate was 88.6 and 87.9% for groups 1 and 2, respectively. Cure rates between groups did not differ according to the selected margin of noninferiority.Conclusions and Clinical ImportanceHDSD enrofloxacin treatment was not inferior to a conventional amoxicillin-clavulanic acid protocol for the treatment of uncomplicated bacterial UTI in dogs. Further research is warranted to determine if this protocol will positively impact owner compliance and decrease the emergence of antimicrobial resistance.

Aim:This study aims to determine the etiology of urinary tract infection (UTI) in dogs and to develop an antibiogram of organisms isolated.Materials and Methods:Urine samples were collected either through catheterization or cystocentesis from 35 dogs suspected of UTI admitted to VCC, LUVAS, Hisar. Bacteria were identified on the basis of cultural characteristics in 22 samples, and all the isolates were subjected to in vitro antimicrobial sensitivity testing.Results:The urine samples found positive for bacteria yielded pure colony growth in 77.27% and mixed growth in 22.73% samples, respectively. Escherichia coli (29.62%) and Streptococcus spp. (29.62%) were the most prevalent microorganisms followed by Staphylococcus spp. (22.22%), Klebsiella spp. (11.11%), Pseudomonas spp. (3.7%), and Bacillus spp. (3.7%). Overall, maximum sensitivity of isolates was found toward ceftriaxone/tazobactam (88.88%) and least toward amoxicillin and cloxacillin (29.62%).Conclusion:E. coli and Streptococcus spp. were the most predominant bacteria isolated from UTI affected dogs. In vitro sensitivity revealed a significant proportion of bacteria to be multidrug resistant.

This study aimed to determine the relationship between the biofilm formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the protein concentration ins it, as well as to determine the resistance of this bacterium to antibiotics. A total of 108 urine samples were collected from suspected urinary tract infections (UTIs) in dogs, conducting general urine examination (GUE) to detect the infection, isolation, and identification the bacteria based on traditional diagnostic tests, the VITEK-2 system, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the 16S rRNA gene. The study involved determining the antibiotic susceptibility of the isolates against ten antibiotics, determination of the biofilm layer by the tube method and Congo red method, evaluation of the strength of biofilm by microtiter plate, and detection of the biofilm protein concentration by Bradford method. The total number of P. aeruginosa isolates was 6/108 (5.5%), among which the isolates that produced the biofilm were 5/6 (83.33%). These isolates were confirmed by the VITEK-2 assay followed by the PCR and sequencing of the amplicon that validated the identity of the isolates, with 99% similarity to P. aeruginosa reference sequences, and the sequences were deposited in NCBI GenBank (accession numbers PP979721.1–PP979726.1). Analysis showed a strong positive correlation (r = 0.998) between the biofilm formation and the protein concentration. All isolates demonstrated 100% resistance to amikacin, trimethoprim, cefotaxime, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, ampicillin, cephalexin, and lincomycin, and 33% were resistant to gentamicin, while 100% were sensitive to ciprofloxacin. In conclusion, these findings underscore a significant correlation between biofilm formation and protein concentration. The knowledge of bacterial ability to form biofilms and their antibiotic resistance pattern is important to improve veterinary practices and prescription of the appropriate antibiotic in the context of UTIs in dogs‎‎‎.

OBJECTIVE To determine the effects of silver-coated versus standard silicone urinary catheters on the incidence of catheter-associated bacteriuria (CAB) and catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) in dogs. DESIGN Randomized controlled clinical trial. ANIMALS 36 dogs requiring urinary bladder catheterization for ≥ 24 hours. PROCEDURES Dogs were randomly assigned to receive a silver-coated or non-silver-coated (control) silicone Foley catheter. Urine samples for cytologic examination and bacterial culture were collected at the time of catheter insertion and daily until catheters were removed (≥ 24 hours to 7 days later). Results were compared between groups. RESULTS No significant differences were identified between catheter groups in the incidence of CAB or CAUTI. Although the median time to development of cytologically detected bacteriuria, culture-detected bacteriuria, and CAUTI did not differ significantly between groups, median time to CAB development (either method) was significantly longer for dogs that received a control catheter rather than a silver-coated catheter. For both types of catheters combined, older age was a significant predictor of culture-detected bacteriuria, and longer duration of catheterization was a significant predictor of culture-detected bacteriuria and overall CAB. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Silver-coated urinary catheters provided no clinical benefit over standard urinary catheters for the dogs of this study and were associated with earlier development of CAB but not CAUTI. A larger prospective study is required to definitively determine whether the use of silver-coated urinary catheters should or should not be considered to reduce the risk of CAB or CAUTI in dogs.

International and Australian veterinary antimicrobial use guidelines recommend amoxicillin or trimethoprim-sulfonamide (TMS) for the empirical treatment of sporadic urinary tract infections (UTIs) in dogs and cats. However, in practice, these antibiotics are rarely used, and no large-scale analyses have examined the antibiograms of bacteria isolated from UTIs to validate these recommendations in Australia. We analyzed five years of urine culture and antimicrobial susceptibility data from an Australian veterinary laboratory. The analysis included 6196 urinary isolates from dogs and cats, 78% of which were from samples submitted by first-opinion veterinary clinics. Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus pseudintermedius and Proteus spp. were the most prevalent organisms. More than 80% of all isolated cocci were susceptible to amoxicillin, and more than 80% of bacilli were susceptible to TMS. A total of 94% of isolates were susceptible to at least one antimicrobial drug categorized as low-importance in Australia. The prevalence of multi-drug resistance (MDR) was highest in E. coli, at 9.7%; 84% of these MDR isolates were susceptible to amoxicillin-clavulanate. We performed population-level antimicrobial treatment simulations and proposed a novel method for integrating antimicrobial importance ratings with antibiogram data to optimize the selection of empirical therapy. Our findings support current guideline recommendations to use amoxicillin or TMS. We also found that bacterial morphology assisted with selection; amoxicillin was a better choice for cocci and TMS for bacilli.

To evaluate the performance of a veterinary urine dipstick paddle (UDP) for diagnosis and identification of urinary tract infection (UTI) in dogs and cats. Prospective, randomized, blinded study. 207 urine specimens. UDPs were inoculated by 2 investigators and incubated according to manufacturer's instructions. Results, including presence or absence of bacterial growth, organism counts, and identification of uropathogens, were compared between investigators and with microbiology laboratory results. A subset of UDPs with bacterial growth was submitted to the laboratory for confirmation. The laboratory reported 64 (30.9%) specimens had growth of bacteria. Bacterial growth was reported for 63 (30.4%) and 58 (28.0%) of the UDPs by investigators 1 and 2, respectively. Sensitivity and specificity of the UDP for detection of bacterial growth were 97.3% and 98.6%, respectively, for investigator 1 and 89.1% and 99.3%, respectively, for investigator 2. For UPDs with ≥ 10(5) colony-forming units/mL, organism counts correlated well between the laboratory and investigators 1 (r = 0.95) and 2 (r = 0.89). Pathogen identification was not always accurate. Only 25 of 33 (75.8%) UDPs submitted for confirmation yielded bacteria consistent with those isolated from the original bacterial culture of urine. The veterinary UDP system was a sensitive test for screening patients for bacterial UTI, but uropathogen identification was not always accurate. When UDPs have bacterial growth, a fresh urine specimen should be submitted to the laboratory to confirm the identity of the organisms and to permit antimicrobial susceptibility testing.