Two new articles say better education for cat owners, more communication from veterinarians, more medication options, and faster, cheaper diagnostic tools may help improve antimicrobial drug use in cats, which could have an impact on increasing numbers of animals and Antimicrobial resistance in humans is of great significance.
Antibiotic resistance threatens up to 10 million lives each year and could cost the global economy trillions of dollars because drug-resistant pathogens spread easily between humans and animals, the study authors said.
In a recent article, “Differing Views of Veterinarians and Cat Owners as Barriers to Reducing Cefovecin Use in Cats,” researchers conducted a survey to differentiate the opinions of cat owners and veterinarians May lead to overuse of only long-acting injectable antimicrobial in catscalled cefvezina.
Although cefovecin is broad spectrum and more convenient to administer, Oral antimicrobials may be less expensive, have a narrower antimicrobial spectrum, and have shorter duration of treatment.. This is important because prolonged exposure to antibiotics gives pathogens more opportunities to acquire resistance.
The study’s lead author said: “For urinary tract infections, you can take the drug for just three to five days, whereas injectable cefovecin can last seven days or more at effective concentrations and still be effective over two months. maintained at subtherapeutic levels.” Kathy KazerAssistant Professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences and Associate Director of the Hospital for Small Animal Community Practice Services at Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine.
Although getting cats to take oral medications can be a challenge Vet thinks cat owners face more difficulties than they do. According to surveys, veterinarians estimate that 60% of cat owners find it difficult to medicate their cats, and 20% find it impossible.
“If a veterinarian thinks ‘most of my clients can’t medicate their cats,’ then they’re more likely to give a stronger ‘big shot’ (cefovecin injection),” he said. Amelia Greiner Safianother author of the article.
The survey also showed that some veterinarians believe that owners of older cats will have difficulty taking oral medications, but cat owners themselves do not support this prejudice. When cat owners have difficulty restraining their cat or is scratched and unable to administer oral medication, only 65% of cat owners discuss with their veterinarian afterwards how to best administer medication to their cat, even though they generally trust their veterinarian as a source of treatment. Information about cat health.
“If there’s one area where we can help veterinarians anticipate the needs of cat owners because cat owners may not communicate, We can proactively educate cat owners and help them be more successful with medication Antibiotic resistance is less of a problem,” Cazer said.
Owners are willing to be educated
It is important that cat owners are also willing to be educated about the risks and benefits of different antibiotics. Given the choice between injections, pills or liquids, about three-quarters of cat owners said they preferred the injection.but Three-quarters of people were willing to try oral medications when told that injections could lead to antimicrobial resistance that threatens animals and humans.
“It emphasizes that as veterinarians, we can educate cat owners and help them make better decisions regarding antibiotic use,” Kazer said. According to the authors, a simple demonstration of how to successfully limit and administer oral medications can reduce the risk of cefovecin usage of.
Veterinarians’ understanding of their role in the antimicrobial resistance problem varies: some are aware of the general risk but downplay their role in creating it. Previous research has shown that public understanding of antimicrobial resistance is limited.
Veterinarians also report that they may succumb to cefovecin administration when they are concerned about comorbidities in older cats, when clients refuse expensive diagnostic testing, when they are unsure about treatment, and when clients are aggressive.
Diagnostic testing guides the selection of appropriate antibiotics and is an important tool in antimicrobial stewardship. Veterinarians and clients may resist testing because they are time-consuming and expensive. In the absence of evidence, cefovecin may be considered the simplest alternative, although it is not ideal.
A companion article led by Cazer and Safi outlines these issues and ways to prevent antimicrobial resistance. These include faster and cheaper diagnostic tests, the development of new antimicrobial drugs, and better education and training for veterinarians and cat owners.