Opportunities and challenges with antibiotic use

Antibiotic guidelines and consensus statements exist in veterinary medicine, but practitioners’ awareness of these guidelines is generally poor. Use and prescription of antibiotics is still, in some cases, based on anecdotal evidence or old dogmas. Antibiotics are an essential, scarce resource that must be used judiciously in order to preserve them for future generations. Education of the veterinary care team and pet owners about the issues with antibiotic resistance needs to be a fundamental aspect of stewardship. Understanding that antibiotic resistance is a global One Health issue that needs multidisciplinary collaboration to be addressed is paramount.