Antibiotic resistance and what we can do to help
When your pet visits us due to an illness or injury they may be prescribed antibiotic treatment. It is important we are all aware of antibiotic resistance and what we can do to help our pets, people and the environment.
Why worry?
Antibiotics revolutionised both human and animal healthcare and have enabled conditions to be treated where previously they would have been fatal. Unfortunately there are a number of bacteria that are resistant to the antibiotics available. This is partly due to bacteria evolving, antibiotics being overused and less research into new classes of antibiotics. This potentially may lead to conditions that were curable no longer being treatable.
How do antibiotics work?
antibiotics kill bacteria, or stop it from growing and developing and therefore causing illness. There are different types or “classes” of antibiotic, this is because different bacteria need to be treated with different types of antibiotic and there is not a “one size fits all” treatment.
Due to bacteria cells rapidly dividing, some of the cells will mutate. Sometimes these mutated cells are resistant to the antibiotic being used and therefore they continue to grow and spread. These bacteria cells survive due to their mutation while the bacteria that did respond to antibiotic treatment is killed off.
What are we doing to help?
There are lots of ways we help to fight antibiotic resistance, some of the ways we can do so are:
Not giving antibiotics “just in case” - if a patient needs antibiotics then they should receive them, but they are not dispensed prophylactically or incase an infection is present
Taking swabs and samples of an infected area to ensure we are using the correct antibiotic for the bacteria present
Using topical antimicrobials for conditions such as ear infections so that the pet’s natural bacterial flora found in their gut and elsewhere is not disturbed (this can lead to the development of resistant bacteria)
Using antibiotics for the correct time - completing a course of antibiotics given and tailoring the length of the course to the specific patient and condition
Not using reserved antibiotics unless we have identified a specific bacteria that will respond to them
Preventing infections by optimising sterility in surgery and looking at strategies to prevent patients from developing infections where possible
Using biosecurity policies and good hygiene practices to reduce the risk of cross contamination
What can you do to help?
There are lots of ways pet owners can help too!
Trust your vet to know when a patient does and does not need antibiotics. Sometimes a pet will be treated with other medications and if they are not responding we can reassess the patient and then dispense antibiotics if they are needed. Dispensing antibiotics “just in case” is an outdated method of use and is not recommended for protecting their efficacy in both animals and humans.
If we advise your pet is checked during or after a course of antibiotics please ensure you do so, this allows us to assess whether the patient is responding to the medication and whether the length of the course is adequate
Follow preventative healthcare recommended by your vet to help keep your pet healthy
If your pet has surgery or has a wound from injury, keep the wound clean and prevent the patient from licking and causing further infection. We can advise you on strategies to prevent this
Do not keep old antibiotics from a pet if they are left over unused! Giving them to the same pet later or to another pet could compromise their welfare as antibiotics are not “one size fits all”. They also should not be disposed of in general waste as they can cause environmental contamination, please drop them off at one of the practices and we will dispose of them for you (there is no charge for this).
When your pet is dispensed antibiotics please follow the vets instructions on dosage, frequency of administration and length of the course
Please bare in mind that this is not just oral medications - there are also ear drops, eye drops and topical creams that contain antibiotics and other antimicrobials.
Using good hand and general hygiene around pets also helps to reduce bacteria spreading
The guidance and regulations we work to as a profession
As a profession vets are trying to improve antibiotic stewardship and therefore improve outcomes for animals and humans in the future when treating infections.
We also have to adhere to strict dispensing guidelines for all antimicrobials (antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals and parasite treatments). Vets now have to physically examine a patient on the same day that one of these medications is prescribed. We are not permitted to dispense antimicrobials after speaking with an owner over the phone for example.
for parasite treatments the vet can write a one year prescription for the treatment of choice on your pet’s notes when they have their annual check up. This means that we can then dispense the parasite treatment chosen for the following 12 months without your pet needing to be seen every time.
for other antimicrobials this means your pet will need to be seen if you feel they need antimicrobial treatment. The only exceptions to this are
when we dispense antimicrobials after the results of a swab or other test to confirm their use is needed
when a patient is having a long course of an antimicrobial and there is a prescription on the pet’s notes for more medication (this is only used in rare cases).
If you run out of an antimicrobial e.g. antimicrobial ear drops and the duration of treatment has not been completed
More information
If you would like more information on this subject this is the British Veterinary Association's statement on antimicrobial stewardship
https://www.bva.co.uk/take-action/our-policies/responsible-use-of-antimicrobials/
