Investigating Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria in Canine Skin Infections at a Veterinary Teaching Hospital

Identifying multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria in veterinary hospitals is crucial for treatment and public health risk mitigation. This study assessed the hospital prevalence of MDR isolates from canine bacterial skin infections, compared prevalence across services and infection types, and identified the most common MDR organisms. Data from hospital records and aerobic skin cultures from August 2021 to November 2024 were reviewed and analyzed. The dataset included 438 cultures from 416 patients and 647 bacterial isolates, and 196 MDR bacteria yielded from 182 samples. The hospital multidrug resistance prevalence was 42% among cultures and 30% among bacterial isolates. The highest multidrug resistance prevalence by service included Primary Care with 68%, Neurology with 62%, Dermatology with 49%, and Surgery with 44%. The MDR bacteria prevalence for superficial surgical site infections was 34%, pyodermas 33%, wounds 30%, masses 28%, and abscesses 13%. Dermatology cultured 72 of 196 (37%) MDR bacteria, Surgery 48 (24%), Emergency and Critical Care 27 (14%), Urgent Care 18 (9%), Primary Care 14 (7%), Neurology eight (4%), Internal Medicine six (3%), and Oncology three (2%). Staphylococcus pseudintermedius was the most common MDR bacteria. These results underscore the need for ongoing surveillance, antimicrobial stewardship, and targeted infection control strategies specific to each veterinary setting.

Authors: K. H. Montin Mills, S. N. Koch, M. Boyd, S. M. F. Torres, J. B. Bender, A. T. Lundberg and A. Rendahl Title: Investigating Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria in Canine Skin Infections at a Veterinary Teaching Hospital Full source: J Am Anim Hosp Assoc, 2026,Vol 62, Iss 4, pp 161-168
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Abstract	Source
Identifying multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria in veterinary hospitals is crucial for treatment and public health risk mitigation. This study assessed the hospital prevalence of MDR isolates from canine bacterial skin infections, compared prevalence across services and infection types, and identified the most common MDR organisms. Data from hospital records and aerobic skin cultures from August 2021 to November 2024 were reviewed and analyzed. The dataset included 438 cultures from 416 patients and 647 bacterial isolates, and 196 MDR bacteria yielded from 182 samples. The hospital multidrug resistance prevalence was 42% among cultures and 30% among bacterial isolates. The highest multidrug resistance prevalence by service included Primary Care with 68%, Neurology with 62%, Dermatology with 49%, and Surgery with 44%. The MDR bacteria prevalence for superficial surgical site infections was 34%, pyodermas 33%, wounds 30%, masses 28%, and abscesses 13%. Dermatology cultured 72 of 196 (37%) MDR bacteria, Surgery 48 (24%), Emergency and Critical Care 27 (14%), Urgent Care 18 (9%), Primary Care 14 (7%), Neurology eight (4%), Internal Medicine six (3%), and Oncology three (2%). Staphylococcus pseudintermedius was the most common MDR bacteria. These results underscore the need for ongoing surveillance, antimicrobial stewardship, and targeted infection control strategies specific to each veterinary setting.