Antimicrobial stewardship education increases US veterinarians' intention to avoid prescribing antimicrobial drugs for canine acute diarrhea, January 2025.

Evidence-based education effectively increases veterinarians' intention to avoid unnecessary antibiotics in canine acute diarrhea.

This cross-sectional pre- and post-intervention study evaluated the effectiveness of educational resources in promoting antimicrobial stewardship among US veterinarians treating canine acute diarrhea. A total of 1,626 veterinarians were randomized into control, handout, or video intervention groups. Both educational interventions significantly improved veterinarians' attitudes toward withholding antibiotics and avoiding metronidazole use, with comfort levels increasing from 85-86% to 90-91% for delayed antibiotic administration. Additionally, both groups showed increased acceptance of prebiotics (10-15 percentage point increase) and probiotics (5-10 percentage point increase) as alternatives to antimicrobial therapy. The study demonstrates that evidence-based, targeted educational resources can effectively shift veterinary prescribing practices and promote adherence to antimicrobial stewardship principles, with both written and video formats proving effective in changing practitioner intentions regarding antibiotic use in this common clinical scenario.

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