Effects of Diagnostic Work‐Up on Medical Decision‐Making for Canine Urinary Tract Infection: An Observational Study in Danish Small Animal Practices

摘要: BACKGROUND: Clinical signs of urinary tract disease in dogs often lead to prescription antibiotics. Appropriate diagnostic work‐up could optimize treatment and reduce the risk inappropriate use HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: To describe evaluate impact on decision treat (DTT) choice antibiotic (COT) for presenting with clinical disease. ANIMALS: One hundred fifty‐one 52 Danish veterinary practices. METHODS: Prospective, observational study. signs, work‐up, prescriptions were recorded. Urine samples submitted a reference laboratory quantitative bacterial culture (QBC) susceptibility testing. The results used as assessing appropriateness DTT COT. RESULTS: In majority dogs, veterinarians performed dipstick (99%), microscopic examination urine (80%) (56%). Fifty‐one percent had infection (UTI) based QBC. was made 62% while 36% over‐prescribed 2% under‐prescribed. Inappropriate second‐line agents found 57% UTI cases. Performing microscopy—but not culture—significantly impacted (P = 0.039) no difference seen COT (P = 0.67). accuracy in‐house microscopy 64.5 77%, respectively. Conclusions Importance: Over‐prescription antibiotics common among suspected UTI, regardless performed. Test inaccuracy under practice conditions incoherence between test decision‐making both explained unnecessary