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.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12917-014-0240-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Concern has been raised regarding the potential contributions of veterinary antimicrobial use to increasing levels of resistance in bacteria critically important to human health
This study aimed to use pre-existing electronic patient health record (EPR) data from a large number of UK primary practices to describe the frequency of the condition and the treatment approaches adopted for canine pyoderma as managed by first opinion veterinary practitioners in the UK
1.3% (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2-1.4%) of all dogs presented for any reason to participating practices in 2010 were diagnosed with pyoderma at least once during that year
Summary
Concern has been raised regarding the potential contributions of veterinary antimicrobial use to increasing levels of resistance in bacteria critically important to human health. UK-specific surveys using data from the primary clinical practice setting could provide an estimate of the proportion vet-visiting dogs affected by pyoderma over a specified period of time, and provide insight into the extent and nature of associated antimicrobial prescribing by vets managing these dogs. This information could facilitate evidence-based assessment of the potential impact of the condition in the UK with respect to animal welfare as well as exploring whether veterinary antimicrobial usage is in accordance with current guidelines [18]
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