Use of Antibiotics in Companion Animals from 133 German Practices from 2018 to 2023
<b>Background/Objectives</b>: While antibiotic usage in farm animals has been systematically monitored and reduced in many countries, including Germany, data on companion animals such as dogs and cats remain scarce. To address this gap, a study was conducted in Germany to analyze pattern...
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Antibiotics |
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| author | Roswitha Merle Leonie Feuer Katharina Frenzer Jan-Lukas Plenio Astrid Bethe Nunzio Sarnino Antina Lübke-Becker Wolfgang Bäumer |
| author_facet | Roswitha Merle Leonie Feuer Katharina Frenzer Jan-Lukas Plenio Astrid Bethe Nunzio Sarnino Antina Lübke-Becker Wolfgang Bäumer |
| author_sort | Roswitha Merle |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <b>Background/Objectives</b>: While antibiotic usage in farm animals has been systematically monitored and reduced in many countries, including Germany, data on companion animals such as dogs and cats remain scarce. To address this gap, a study was conducted in Germany to analyze patterns of antibiotic use in dogs and cats. <b>Methods</b>: Antibiotic usage data were obtained from debevet, a cloud-based veterinary practice management software based in Berlin, Germany. Practices with fewer than 100 patients were excluded, and data from 2018 to 2022 were analyzed. <b>Results</b>: The analysis included 477,310 consultations of 78,381 dogs and 241,532 consultations of 55,729 cats across 133 veterinary practices. Antibiotics were used in 12.9% of dog consultations and 22.5% of cat consultations, with substantial variation across practices. Aminopenicillins, particularly amoxicillin, were the most commonly used antibiotics, while the highest-priority critically important antibiotics (HPCIAs) accounted for 12.4% of treatments. Follow-up treatments led to changes in antibiotic substances in 9.3% of cases, often within the first two days. Indications varied by species, with respiratory issues more frequent in cats and orthopedic problems in dogs. Body weight and breed characteristics influenced the likelihood of antibiotic treatment, with short-nosed breeds showing higher odds. <b>Conclusions</b>: The routine data analysis provided valuable insights into antibiotic use in dogs and cats, enabling tracking trends across species and indications over time. While some specific information was missing, the invoicing data’s completeness, the cost-effectiveness of their use, and their unbiased nature make them a robust tool for monitoring and informing legislative changes. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-547309e2c57f43b2afbc790555aec2f9 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2079-6382 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Antibiotics |
| spelling | doaj-art-547309e2c57f43b2afbc790555aec2f92025-01-24T13:18:46ZengMDPI AGAntibiotics2079-63822025-01-011415810.3390/antibiotics14010058Use of Antibiotics in Companion Animals from 133 German Practices from 2018 to 2023Roswitha Merle0Leonie Feuer1Katharina Frenzer2Jan-Lukas Plenio3Astrid Bethe4Nunzio Sarnino5Antina Lübke-Becker6Wolfgang Bäumer7Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Veterinary Centre for Resistance Research, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, GermanyInstitute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, GermanyInstitute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Veterinary Centre for Resistance Research, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, GermanyInstitute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Veterinary Centre for Resistance Research, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, GermanyInstitute of Microbiology and Epizootics, Veterinary Centre for Resistance Research, Freie Universität Berlin, 14163 Berlin, GermanyInstitute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Veterinary Centre for Resistance Research, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, GermanyInstitute of Microbiology and Epizootics, Veterinary Centre for Resistance Research, Freie Universität Berlin, 14163 Berlin, GermanyInstitute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany<b>Background/Objectives</b>: While antibiotic usage in farm animals has been systematically monitored and reduced in many countries, including Germany, data on companion animals such as dogs and cats remain scarce. To address this gap, a study was conducted in Germany to analyze patterns of antibiotic use in dogs and cats. <b>Methods</b>: Antibiotic usage data were obtained from debevet, a cloud-based veterinary practice management software based in Berlin, Germany. Practices with fewer than 100 patients were excluded, and data from 2018 to 2022 were analyzed. <b>Results</b>: The analysis included 477,310 consultations of 78,381 dogs and 241,532 consultations of 55,729 cats across 133 veterinary practices. Antibiotics were used in 12.9% of dog consultations and 22.5% of cat consultations, with substantial variation across practices. Aminopenicillins, particularly amoxicillin, were the most commonly used antibiotics, while the highest-priority critically important antibiotics (HPCIAs) accounted for 12.4% of treatments. Follow-up treatments led to changes in antibiotic substances in 9.3% of cases, often within the first two days. Indications varied by species, with respiratory issues more frequent in cats and orthopedic problems in dogs. Body weight and breed characteristics influenced the likelihood of antibiotic treatment, with short-nosed breeds showing higher odds. <b>Conclusions</b>: The routine data analysis provided valuable insights into antibiotic use in dogs and cats, enabling tracking trends across species and indications over time. While some specific information was missing, the invoicing data’s completeness, the cost-effectiveness of their use, and their unbiased nature make them a robust tool for monitoring and informing legislative changes.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/14/1/58antimicrobialsdogscatsconsumptioncritically important antimicrobialsAMU |
| spellingShingle | Roswitha Merle Leonie Feuer Katharina Frenzer Jan-Lukas Plenio Astrid Bethe Nunzio Sarnino Antina Lübke-Becker Wolfgang Bäumer Use of Antibiotics in Companion Animals from 133 German Practices from 2018 to 2023 Antibiotics antimicrobials dogs cats consumption critically important antimicrobials AMU |
| title | Use of Antibiotics in Companion Animals from 133 German Practices from 2018 to 2023 |
| title_full | Use of Antibiotics in Companion Animals from 133 German Practices from 2018 to 2023 |
| title_fullStr | Use of Antibiotics in Companion Animals from 133 German Practices from 2018 to 2023 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Use of Antibiotics in Companion Animals from 133 German Practices from 2018 to 2023 |
| title_short | Use of Antibiotics in Companion Animals from 133 German Practices from 2018 to 2023 |
| title_sort | use of antibiotics in companion animals from 133 german practices from 2018 to 2023 |
| topic | antimicrobials dogs cats consumption critically important antimicrobials AMU |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/14/1/58 |
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