Antibiotic usage patterns in exotic pets: A study in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil

Abstract

Background: The link between the reckless use of antimicrobials with the increasing development of multidrug-resistant strains of antibiotics is well established. To control the spread of AMR, action plans, recommendations and guidelines on the prudent use of antibiotics have been developed for food-producing animals and companion animals but appear to be lacking in exotic pets due to the scarcity of data and information on the use of antibiotics in these species. Aim: The purpose of this study is to bring qualitative and quantitative data regarding the use of antimicrobials in exotic pets in a veterinary center in southern Brazil, seeking to measure the consumption of these animals to determine and guide future actions to combat AMR. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted by surveying 2,190 open care records in a specialized clinic of wildlife medicine in 2018. Data evaluation was performed in a descriptive, qualitative, and quantitative way, and the analysis of antimicrobial consumption was performed by calculating the daily dose/g of animal ml/day/kg by animal order, condition and active principle, adaptation to DDDVet. For statistical analysis, Levene´s, ANOVA followed by Tukey´s tests were used. Results: Approximately 57% (1250/2190) of the visits made use of one or more antimicrobials in the treatment of animals referred to the clinic. Of these, 67% (n= 839) were birds, 26% (n= 327), mammals and 7% (n= 84) reptiles. During 2018, the total consumption of antimicrobials prescribed was 2.21L for the total biomass of 129.24kg. The relation between the dosages of the main antimicrobials used and the conditions treated showed that there is no variation between the treatments by disease and by animal class, due to the great variation within each group. Conclusion: The antimicrobial prescription in exotic pets requires a multifaceted and dynamic approach applied to safeguard the efficacy of the antimicrobials, optimizing consumption, minimizing the emergence of antimicrobial resistance and other possible adverse effects, considering the physiological differences present within each species. The doses between the different classes and conditions do not obtain a significant difference, reflects in a possible non-standardization of the dosages used, requiring further investigation the recommended dosages for each animal species, avoiding the over or underdosing of these drugs. It is worth highlighting that professionals must always make rational use of antimicrobials in these species.