Characterisation of antimicrobial usage in cats and dogs attending UK primary care companion animal veterinary practices

E L Buckland,L Redmond,J Summers,A Mateus,D O'Neill,D Brodbelt,D Church

doi:10.1136/vr.103830

E L Buckland, L Redmond + Show 5 more

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https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.103830

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Abstract

There is scant evidence describing antimicrobial (AM) usage in companion animal primary care veterinary practices in the UK. The use of AMs in dogs and cats was quantified using data...

Highlights

There is scant evidence describing the extent of antimicrobial (AM) usage in companion animal species attending veterinary practices in the United Kingdom and these species have received limited attention as a reservoir of antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
De-identified clinical data from 374 UK companion animal practices were accessed via the VetCompass
The majority of practices were located in England, the Midlands and East England and few practices were located in Northern Scotland

Summary

Introduction

There is scant evidence describing the extent of antimicrobial (AM) usage in companion animal species attending veterinary practices in the United Kingdom and these species have received limited attention as a reservoir of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Central to addressing AMR in companion animal veterinary practice is the need for a clear understanding of current levels and patterns of AM usage in veterinary practice. The frequency of AM use in companion animals may be growing as a result of increased population, better availability of veterinary services and use of antimicrobials for a range of health conditions (Guardabassi and others 2004). Previous studies have described the use of AMs in UK companion animal practices (Radford and others 2011; Mateus and others 2011) and agents most frequently used were amoxicillinclavulanate, cephalexin, clindamycin and cefovecin

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