Clinic fliers, documents cover appropriate antimicrobial use
The AVMA has developed two new clinic fliers to educate cat and dog owners about appropriate antimicrobial use. It’s also releasing two new documents providing do’s and don’ts for veterinarians treating cats and dogs with antimicrobials.
The Association released the resources during the first Get Smart About Antibiotics Week, Nov. 16-22, 2015. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention held the U.S. event during the World Health Organization’s first World Antibiotic Awareness Week. The events aim to raise awareness of antimicrobial resistance and appropriate antimicrobial use.
The AVMA Task Force for Antimicrobial Stewardship in Companion Animal Practice was instrumental in developing the Association’s new antimicrobial resources.
The clinic fliers—one featuring a cat and one featuring a dog—start out by saying: “Cough. Snort. Sniffle. Sneeze. Careful with antibiotics, please.” The rest of the message says: “You want your pet to feel better. Antibiotics may or may not be the answer. Antibiotics don’t fight viruses, the most common cause of flu-like signs. What will? Good supportive care while your pet’s immune system does its job. Find out when antibiotics work—and when they don’t. Talk with your veterinarian.”
The do’s and don’ts for antimicrobials—one document for cats and one document for dogs—start out by saying: “Responsible antimicrobial use preserves and optimizes the efficacy of antimicrobials and minimizes the selection for antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, thereby protecting public and animal health.”
Each document offers general considerations for antimicrobial use in cats or dogs and specific considerations for use with dermatologic, dental, respiratory, urinary tract, reproductive, gastrointestinal, and vector-borne diseases and for perioperative use.
The clinic fliers and the do’s and don’ts documents are available to download in PDF format . Also available on the site is a quiz to test “How much do you actually know about antibiotics?”