Objective
To describe the bacterial bio‐burden of open‐treated wounds and make comparisons with bite wounds.
Design
Retrospective multicentre study.
Sample
Microbial culture between 2011 and 2013 from open‐treated wounds in dogs and cats (initiation of therapy n=88, follow‐up n=52) were compared to those from bite wounds (n=184).
Procedures
Bacteria were identified and tested for antibiotic susceptibility by two accredited laboratories.
Results
In total, 77/88 (88%) of open‐treated wounds yielded positive bacterial cultures at the beginning of treatment, decreasing to 27/52 (52%) during treatment. Upon initial evaluation, 42/88 (48 %) of open‐treated wounds were considered infected with multi‐drug‐resistant bacteria, with a drop to 22/52 (41%) during therapy. Bite wounds yielded fewer positive cultures 88/184 (48%) with only 11/182 (6%) being affected by multi‐drug‐resistant bacteria. Bacteria found most commonly in open‐treated wounds were Enterococcus subspecies, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus pseudintermedius and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Conclusion
The bacterial populations of open‐treated wounds differed markedly from the bite wounds. The high incidence of multi‐drug‐resistant strains in open wounds highlights the need for alternatives to antibiotics.