Comparison of metrics to assess antibiotic use in small ruminants at a university referral clinic between 2005 and 2019

BackgroundMonitoring antibiotic use is essential to provide a framework enabling veterinarians to use antibiotics prudently.MethodsElectronic medical records from the University of Veterinary Medicine's Clinic for Ruminants in Vienna were analysed with respect to sheep and goat antibiotic doses administered over a 15-year period (2005-2019). Antibiotic use was assessed using total milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg), total milligrams, number of doses administered, defined daily doses (DDD) for cattle and estimated DDD for sheep.ResultsA total of 5113 antibiotic doses were recorded over the 15-year period. Urinary tract disorders required the highest number of doses administered per animal (mean 16.9; median 16.0). Antibiotic use patterns varied according to the metrics used for analysis. By mg/kg, the largest proportion of antibiotics administered were penicillin/streptomycin (43.0% of the total mg/kg), followed by tetracyclines (17.3%) and sulphonamide/trimethoprim combinations (15.2%). By number of doses administered, the most frequently used antibiotics were penicillins (excluding combinations with streptomycin) (33.9% of total number of doses administered), fluoroquinolones (25.1%), third/fourth-generation cephalosporins (13.6%) and penicillin/streptomycin (13.4%).LimitationsAs the university clinic was a city-based referral centre, this analysis cannot be compared directly with antibiotic use in commercial herds or flocks.ConclusionsThe considered choice of antibiotic use metrics is essential for an effective and meaningful analysis of the responsible use of antibiotics by veterinarians in practice.