A study undertaken at five Colorado vet hospitals has gathered information about pet owners’ knowledge and perceptions of AMR.
The recent American study on pet owners’ understanding of antibiotics shows that widespread myths (such as antibiotics are effective against viruses) are still common – 50.5% of owners were unsure or thought they were effective and that most owners are unsure and/or unaware about the role of antibiotic resistance in small animal medicine (70.8% were unsure or disagreed with the statement that antibiotic resistant bacteria can spread from animals to people).
However, the survey also showed that vets are trusted sources of information on the use of antibiotics. Furthermore, the overwhelming majority of owners believe that vets should be experts on antibiotics (79.4% agreed or strongly agreed) and should only prescribe them when necessary (90.2% agreed or strongly agreed).
The study was conducted in Colorado, USA and used responses from 277 pet owners of whom 71.5% had no medical experience, 79.4% were dog owners and 74.7% were educated to degree level or above.
The study highlights the ongoing importance of educating owners about AMR and antibiotic stewardship.
https://bvajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/vetr.2583?campaign=wolearlyview