September 15, 2020

Veterinarians in the United Kingdom may be less likely to prescribe systemic antimicrobials for ill pets that are vaccinated, neutered, or insured, according to study results.

The results also suggest veterinarians in practices accredited by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons are less likely to prescribe those drugs than veterinarians working in practices without the accreditation, and veterinarians in pet-focused practices are less likely to prescribe them than veterinarians in mixed animal practices.

An article published in August in Emerging Infectious Diseases describes data from 400,000 consultations involving sick dogs or cats brought to practices participating in the Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network, which is a health record–based data collection project at the University of Liverpool. The article authors are affiliated with the University of Liverpool, the U.K. Animal and Plant Health Agency, and the University of Bristol.

The researchers found statistically significant links between prescribing rates and certain factors other than clinical presentation.

For example, veterinarians prescribed systemic antimicrobials for 25.1% of vaccinated dogs and 27.3% of unvaccinated dogs. They prescribed such drugs for 28.9% of insured cats and 33.8% of uninsured cats.

Veterinarians in RCVS-accredited practices prescribed systemic antimicrobials for 25.2% of sick dogs and 32.2% of sick cats, while veterinarians from practices without RCVS accreditation prescribed the drugs for 28.4% of dogs and 36.4% of cats, according to data published with the report.

The authors wrote that the differences may be linked with veterinarians’ perceptions of risk, their training, and pet owners’ prior engagement with veterinary care.

“Risk avoidance plays a major role in antimicrobial drug–prescribing practices, potentially prompting more frequent prescription for unwell, nonvaccinated animals,” the article states. “We speculate that previous engagement with preventive healthcare services might select for clients more likely to seek veterinary attention earlier or to pursue diagnostic options rather than empirical prescription.”

Cost of care also may influence veterinarians’ decisions. While veterinarians more often prescribed systemic antimicrobials for uninsured dogs, they were more likely to prescribe critically important systemic antimicrobials—which tend to be more expensive—when the pets are covered by health insurance.