Antimicrobial treatment preferences among veterinarians for Golden Retrievers in the United States

Abstract

Abstract OBJECTIVE To identify the preferred choices of antimicrobials by veterinarians for addressing infectious diseases in Golden Retrievers across the US. ANIMALS 3,044 Golden Retrievers enrolled in the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study. METHODS Demographic and veterinary visit data were retrieved from the Morris Animal Foundation Golden Retriever Lifetime Study, following 3,044 Golden Retrievers spanning from 2012 to 2020 collected through questionnaires. The R Studio program was used to clean and analyze the data in which the most common diagnoses were evaluated along with the most frequently used antimicrobials stratified by geographical region within the US. RESULTS The most common diagnoses reported and treated with antimicrobials were otitis externa, diarrhea/gastritis, hot spots, and bladder infections. Otitis externa was the most frequently reported medical diagnosis as well as prescribed with antibiotics. The Southern region reported the most antimicrobial use, followed by the Midwest and Northeast. Of the total reported antibiotics prescribed for infectious disease, aminoglycosides were the most frequent (370/1,874 [19.74%]) followed by first-generation cephalosporins, nitroimidazoles, and penicillins. CLINICAL RELEVANCE More effort in the prevention of otitis externa in Golden Retrievers may reduce overall antimicrobial usage and promote effective antimicrobial stewardship to combat further antimicrobial resistance.