Handbook helps companion animal practices prevent antimicrobial resistance

A new guide from the University of Minnesota aims to help companion animal practices implement effective antimicrobial stewardship practices.

The handbook, from the university’s Antimicrobial Resistance and Stewardship Initiative, is intended to guide clinic leaders who are interested in applying the AVMA’s “Core Principles of Antimicrobial Stewardship in Veterinary Medicine.” It provides strategies, suggestions and tools organized from basic to advanced categories.

It guides practice leaders through a five-step process to implement strategies, from forming a dedicated in-practice antimicrobial stewardship committee, to identifying priorities, to implementing actions and assessing impact.

“At a national level, people are starting to pay more attention to antimicrobial resistance,” Jennifer Granick, an associate professor in the University of Minnesota’s veterinary college, said in a recent UMN article. “There has been a large focus on antibiotic use in human medicine and agriculture, but the conversation has largely ignored the animals that share our environment, homes, and even our ice cream cones.”

The antimicrobial resistance initiative was started last fall. Leaders hope to develop a robust system for companion animal disease surveillance. “Nearly 70% of households in the United States own a pet,” Granick said. “That number is not inconsequential. And most people do not live on or near a farm—they are more likely to be exposed to antibiotics through their own pet than through agriculture.”