title: Prescribing practices of primary-care veterinary practitioners in dogs diagnosed with bacterial pyoderma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Concern has been raised regarding the potential contributions of veterinary antimicrobial use to increasing levels of resistance in bacteria critically important to human health. Canine pyoderma is a frequent, often recurrent diagnosis in pet dogs, usually attributable to secondary bacterial infection of the skin. Lesions can range in severity based on the location, total area and depth of tissue affected and antimicrobial therapy is recommended for resolution. This study aimed to describe patient signalment, disease characteristics and treatment prescribed in a large number of UK, primary-care canine pyoderma cases and to estimate pyoderma prevalence in the UK vet-visiting canine population.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 54,600 dogs presented to 73 participating practices in 2010, 683 (1.3%) had a pyoderma diagnosis recorded in available electronic patient record (EPR) data. Antimicrobials were dispensed in 97% of cases and most dogs were prescribed systemic therapy (92%). Agents most frequently prescribed were amoxicillin-clavulanate, cefalexin, clindamycin and cefovecin. Systemic antimicrobials were prescribed for fewer than 14 days in around 40% of study cases reviewed in detail. Prescribed daily doses were below minimum recommended daily dose (MRDD) in 26% of 43 dogs with sufficient information for calculation of minimum dose.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Antimicrobial prescribing behaviour for treatment of canine pyoderma was variable but frequently appeared inconsistent with current recommendations. Use of clinical data from primary practice EPRs can provide valuable insight into common clinical conditions and associated prescribing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Population and Public Health (PPH), Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, UK. jsummers@rvc.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Jennifer F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Summers
authors.affiliation: Queen Mother Hospital for Animals (QMHA), Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, UK. ahendricks@rvc.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Anke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hendricks
authors.affiliation: Department of Population and Public Health (PPH), Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, UK. dbrodbelt@rvc.ac.uk.
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Brodbelt
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000287:Administration, Topical; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D011711:Pyoderma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D018634:Veterinarians / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents