Monitoring of microflora in case of infectious pathology in dogs and cats

Abstract

Infectious agents in the environment, favorable conditions, transmission factors, and a weakened animal body lead to an infectious process. Infectious diseases can affect humans and animals equally, so preventing and eliminating pathogenic agents is essential. Moreover, there is a threat of resistance development among pathogens and their spread. This problem is caused by the irrational use of antibacterial drugs for therapeutic purposes, the duration of treatment, and their frequent use. Given that an animal can be a source of infection for humans, there is a risk of transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains from animal to human. In order to prevent the resistance of microorganisms to antibacterial agents, there is a pharmacodynamic justification for drug dosage regimens and microbiological studies to control the spread of infectious diseases and pathogens that cause disease. The purpose of our research was to monitor infectious pathologies in dogs and cats in the city of Bila Tserkva, to isolate and identify isolates from samples from three veterinary clinics (“Veterinary assistance”, 44 Shalom-Aleichem St.; “Interdepartmental Clinic of Small Pets of the Bila Tserkva NAU”, 126 Stavyshchanska St.; “Veterinary assistance”, 38 Korolenko St.). The test material was sent to the Educational and Scientific Laboratory of Molecular Diagnostics of Bila Tserkva NAU. According to the VebForce system statistics, the most common diseases in companion animals among the clinic's patients were plyometrics, otitis media, abscesses, and wounds (of various origins). The results of microbiological monitoring for the period from January 1, 2022, to January 1, 2023, show that the study of infected material in purulent and inflammatory processes revealed a wide variety of isolates. The pyometrics in cats were predominantly used: Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus epidermidis. In bitches, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus spp., Streptococcus canis were mainly isolated. The following isolates were found in the study of wound microflora (of different origin): in cats – Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus; in dogs – Staphylococcus spp., S. pseudintermedius, Streptococcus spp. In the study of animals with otitis media – Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis were mainly found in cats, and Streptococcus spp. and Staphylococcus spp. were mainly isolated from dog abscesses: Escherichia coli; Staphylococcus epidermidis, in dogs – S. epidermidis and Escherichia coli. Today, infectious pathologies are an urgent problem often found in companion animals.