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Background: Many pathogens cause disease in dogs; however, meaningful surveillance in small companion animals is often only possible for the most impactful diseases. We describe the first stakeholder opinion-led approach to identify which canine infectious diseases should be prioritised for inclusion in surveillance and control strategies in the UK., Methods: Participants were identified through a stakeholder analysis. A multicriteria decision analysis was undertaken to establish and weight epidemiological criteria for evaluating diseases, and a Delphi technique was employed to achieve a consensus among participants on the top-priority canine diseases., Results: Nineteen stakeholders from multiple backgrounds participated in this study. Leptospirosis and parvovirus were identified as the top two endemic diseases of concern, while leishmaniosis and babesiosis were the top two exotic diseases. Respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases were identified as the top two syndromes of concern., Limitations: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of participants was reduced. Despite this, a representative multidisciplinary sample of relevant stakeholders contributed to the present study., Conclusions: Findings from this study are being used to inform the development of a future UK-wide epidemic response strategy. This methodology could provide a blueprint for other countries., (© 2023 The Authors. Veterinary Record published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Veterinary Association.)

Background: Antimicrobial stewardship is a cornerstone of efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance. We evaluated the impact of a formal discussion of antimicrobial stewardship for dogs and cats on systemic antimicrobial prescribing behaviours among companion animal veterinarians., Methods: Electronic health records including information about the prescription of antimicrobials were collected from a multisite UK veterinary practice between 2017 and 2020. We undertook interrupted time series analysis using a quasi-Poisson model to compare the pre- and postintervention change in level and slope for multiple outcomes., Results: After the intervention, there were sustained reductions in the prescription rate of cefovecin to cats and metronidazole to dogs and increases in amoxicillin-clavulanic acid prescribing. There was no evidence for an immediate change in overall prescribing rates in either species, although rates increased over the 12 months after the intervention. There was a transient increase in the proportion of dogs who had their weight recorded at the time of prescription. Results suggest decreases in the prescription of off-licence antimicrobials in both species and the likelihood of underdosing in dogs., Conclusions: Discussion of antimicrobial stewardship is more likely to influence the antimicrobial choice than whether to prescribe or not. Interventions may benefit by focusing on appropriate antimicrobial selection rather than overall prescription frequency., (© 2022 The Authors. Veterinary Record published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Veterinary Association.)

Presentation for gastrointestinal (GI) disease comprised 2.2 per cent of cat, 3.2 per cent of dog and 2.2 per cent of rabbit consultations between April 1, 2016 and March 31, 2017Diarrhoea and vomiting without blood were the most frequently reported GI disease clinical signs (34.4 and 38.9 per cent in cats and 42.8 and 37.3 per cent in dogs, respectively)The mean percentage of samples testing positive for Salmonella in dogs was double that in cats (0.82 per cent and 0.41 per cent, respectively) from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2016In dogs, autumn was associated with a greater proportion of Salmonella -positive sample submissions; no clear suggestion of seasonal variation in cats was observedIn both cats and dogs, isolates belonging to Salmonella enterica group B serotypes were the most common (68.9 per cent in cats and 55.0 per cent in dogs)., (British Veterinary Association.)

Presentation for pruritus comprised 6.5 per cent, 3.6 per cent and 2.0 per cent of canine, feline and rabbit consultations, respectively, between January 2014 and June 2016Topical antimicrobials were the most commonly prescribed pruritus treatments for dogs (33.6 per cent of consultations); for cats, it was systemic glucocorticoids (53.5 per cent)In surveillance of coagulase-positive staphylococci, 16 per cent of 176 coagulase-positive staphylococci isolated from canine diagnostic samples were sensitive to all tested antibacterial classes; multidrug resistance (resistance to three or more antibacterial classes) was found in 6.8 per cent., (British Veterinary Association.)

Presentation for respiratory disease comprised 1.7 per cent, 2.3 per cent and 2.5 per cent of canine, feline and rabbit consultations, respectively, between January 2014 and December 2015. Coughing was the most frequent respiratory sign reported in dogs (71.1 per cent of consultations); in cats it was sneezing (42.6 per cent). Mean percentage of samples testing positive for feline calicivirus (FCV) was 30.1 per cent in 2014 and 27.9 per cent in 2015. January was the month with the highest percentage of FCV-positive samples in both 2014 and 2015., (British Veterinary Association.)

This is the first UK small animal disease surveillance report from SAVSNET. Future reports will expand to other syndromes and diseases. As data are collected for longer, the estimates of changes in disease burden will become more refined, allowing more targeted local and perhaps national interventions. Anonymised data can be accessed for research purposes by contacting the authors. SAVSNET welcomes feedback on this report., (British Veterinary Association.)