Antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli from dogs in a veterinary hospital intensive care unit

This thesis presents results from a two-part prospective study conducted in a veterinary intensive care unit (ICU). The first part determined the frequency of Escherichia coli catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CA-UTIs) and whether multi-drug resistant (MDR) E. coli UTIs originated endogenously from intestinal flora of the dogs. Six of 14 dogs (43%) with long-term urinary catheters developed E. coli UTIs. An MDR E. coli UTI was diagnosed in one dog and likely originated from the dog's intestinal flora. The second part assessed evolution of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in rectal E. coli isolates from dogs with length of stay (LOS) and treatment, and associations between resistances to antimicrobial agents. The results were (i) a significant increase in AMR with increased LOS in the ICU, (ii) an increased frequency of quinolone-resistant isolates when dogs were treated with enrofloxacin, and (iii) significant associations between resistances in isolates within the extended-spectrum cephalosporin and the quinolone groups.