Population wide assessment of antimicrobial use in dogs and cats using a novel data source – A cohort study using pet insurance data

Abstract

Antimicrobial use in veterinary practice is under increasing scrutiny as a contributor to the rising risk of multidrug resistant bacterial pathogens. Surveillance of antimicrobial use in food animals is extensive globally, but population level data is lacking for companion animals. Lack of census data means cohorts are usually restricted to those attending veterinary practices, which precludes aggregating data from large cohorts of animals, independent of their need for veterinary intervention. The objective of this study was to investigate the exposure of dogs and cats to antimicrobials at a population level. A retrospective cohort study was performed using a novel data source; a pet insura..