The issue of antibiotic-resistant superbugs is the reason antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is the subject of the inaugural annual Veterinary Emerging Topics (VET) Report, produced by Banfield Pet Hospitals in conjunction with the North American Veterinary Community (NAVC). For the VET Report, all dogs evaluated in 2015 at U.S. Banfield Pet Hospitals (there were 926 in 43 states at the time) were considered for the antimicrobial-use study, with 3,850 veterinarians taking part. The report opens with a joint letter from Daniel Aja, DVM, chief medical officer of the Vancouver, Wash.-based Banfield, and Thomas Bohn, CEO, NAVC, a Gainesville, Fla., professional development nonprofit for veterinarians, where they touch on the fact that there are antimicrobial-use guidelines, such as those of the International Society for Companion Animal Infectious Diseases (ISCAID), but that the American Veterinary Medical Association noted that “the vast majority of companion animal practitioners” have no idea the ISCAID or other guidelines exist. VET Report findings included: 45 percent of companion animal veterinarians worry about AMR infection; 62 percent feel antimicrobials in small animal practice impact AMR; and 88 percent of small animal veterinarians are unaware that three sets of guidelines (ISCAID, AVMA, American Association of Feline Practitioners) dictating antimicrobial use exist. “This year’s topic sheds light on an important issue that doesn’t receive a lot of attention. We hope this joint effort will help generate awareness among companion animal veterinarians that they can be part of the fight against AMR,” Bohn said. Read the report in its entirety at Vet Folio website. Originally published in the April 2017 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Did you enjoy this article? Then subscribe today!
