Antibiotic resistance and antibiotic use in companion animal veterinary medicine: A qualitative study in Southwestern France

Molia Sophie, Mattern Julien, Fortané Nicolas. 2025. Antibiotic resistance and antibiotic use in companion animal veterinary medicine: A qualitative study in Southwestern France. SSM. Qualitative Research in Health, 8:100632, 12 p.

Résumé : Antibiotic resistance (ABR) is a major global health threat and its connection to antibiotic use (ABU) in animals has been less explored in companion animals compared to food animals. To better understand how French companion animal veterinarians perceive ABR and reduce ABU, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 23 veterinarians (20 practitioners in Southwestern France and 3 institutional officials). Participants noted substantial progress in ABR awareness over the past two decades, despite the low incidence of ABR cases in routine non-referral companion animal care. They considered veterinarians had significantly reduced ABU, driven by concerns over prescription/sale decoupling and efforts such as awareness campaigns, regulations, and best practice guidelines. Personal factors, including values, life experiences, interest in alternative medicine, career paths, and practical experience, also played an important role. However, certain best practices remain inconsistent, particularly antimicrobial susceptibility testing and avoiding peri/post-operative ABU or first-intention cefovecin use in cats. Several factors were widely agreed upon as influencing ABU, including type of pathology, geographic location, veterinary peer influence, and client factors (particularly compliance and financial capacities). Yet, perceptions diverged regarding the impact of pharmaceutical inspections by health authorities, generational differences among practitioners, work pressure, and the corporatization of veterinary practices. While progress has been made, companion animal veterinarians recognized there is still room for ABU improvement. Looking ahead, they called for health authorities to trust veterinarians' clinical judgment, balance required efforts between veterinary and human medicine, avoid punitive actions or unnecessary restrictions, and focus on sensitization (awareness-increasing) through accessible, evidence-based, and context-dependent recommendations.

Mots-clés Agrovoc : santé animale, antibiotique, médecine vétérinaire, Résistance aux antibiotiques, vétérinaire, santé publique, médecine douce

Mots-clés géographiques Agrovoc : France

Mots-clés libres : Antibiotic resistance, Antibiotic use, Companion animal, Small animal, Veterinarian, Qualitative, France

Auteurs et affiliations

• Molia Sophie, CIRAD-BIOS-UMR ASTRE (AUS) ORCID: 0000-0002-5695-7464 - auteur correspondant
• Mattern Julien, UPPA (FRA)
• Fortané Nicolas, Université Paris-Dauphine-PSL (FRA)

Source : Cirad-Agritrop (https://agritrop.cirad.fr/614719/)

Métriques

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