Antimicrobial drug use in dogs prior to admission to a veterinary teaching hospital

OBJECTIVE: To determine frequency of antimicrobial drug (AMD) use in dogs within 12 months prior to admission to a veterinary teaching hospital. DESIGN: Owner survey and medical records review. ANIMALS: 435 dogs admitted to a veterinary teaching hospital. PROCEDURES: Demographic characteristics and information regarding AMD use in dogs were obtained from medical records and results of surveys completed by owners of dogs. RESULTS: 242 (55.6%) dogs received at least 1 AMD within 12 months prior to hospital admission; 125 (51.7%) of these dogs had a disease of the integument at the time of admission. β-Lactam AMDs were used more frequently than AMDs of any other class (176/242 [72.7%] dogs). Three hundred sixty-eight dogs had a medical problem at the time of hospital admission; 225 (61.1%) of these dogs had received at least 1 AMD within 12 months prior to hospital admission. Dogs referred by a veterinarian to the hospital were 2.39 times as likely to have received at least 1 AMD within 30 days prior to hospital admission as were dogs admitted without a referral. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results indicated AMDs were frequently administered to dogs prior to admission to the teaching hospital. Use of AMDs in animals could be a risk factor for coselection and spread of multidrug-resistant pathogens, and colonization or infection of dogs with such pathogens could have a negative impact on the health of other animals and humans.