Lori Nicholson & Mr. Beebs: Stories of Antibiotic Use and Resistance

Antibiotics are often prescribed by veterinarians without the benefit of a culture and sensitivity report [laboratory test to determine what type of bacteria is causing the infection and what antibiotics would work best to treat the infection]. Sometimes that approach works but when it doesn’t, the situation becomes exponentially more dangerous.

Broad-spectrum antibiotics are the go-to treatment, while a culture and sensitivity test is rarely done to confirm their likely effectiveness.

My dog, Mr. Beebs, had orthopedic surgery and was sent home with broad-spectrum antibiotics. Two weeks later, a fistula opened in his leg. He was re-hospitalized and given another round of the same antibiotics. Weeks later, the culture and sensitivity report came back and the organism, Enterobacter Cloacae, was resistant to all the standard antibiotics except the carbapenem drug imipenem/cilastatin, a last-line antibiotic.

Mr. Beebs’ infection led to osteomyelitis and the amputation of his leg. By not treating him with an appropriate antibiotic based on culture and sensitivity testing, the organism had time to replicate and create a biofilm [tight coating of bacteria that can resist antibiotic treatment]. It was devastating both emotionally and financially.

Bacterial organisms are so adept at mutating and sharing information that the day will come when you will die from a simple procedure. The fact that companion animal antibiotic usage and antibiotic resistance goes unmeasured nationally is truly dangerous considering how likely it is that these organisms will continue to adapt, survive, and proliferate in this population. Preserving antibiotics through proper targeting of treatment is tantamount.

Why are culture and sensitivity tests so cost prohibitive in veterinary medicine and insufficiently used to diagnose infection? Without the right treatment to target the right organism, we are only giving power to the organisms to mutate and outsmart us. Make the culture and sensitivity test a priority and affordable!