EXPRESS: Factors associated with antimicrobial drug prescription in cats receiving outpatient care at a veterinary teaching hospital.

Patient sex, hospital service, veterinarian training, visit duration, and urine culture performance significantly predict antimicrobial prescribing in feline outpatients.

This retrospective study investigated factors associated with antimicrobial drug prescription (ADP) in cats receiving outpatient care at a veterinary teaching hospital in 2022. Analyzing 3,973 outpatient visits from 2,245 cats, researchers found that 9.2% of visits (367/3,973) resulted in at least one systemic ADP. Using multivariable logistic regression with generalized estimating equations, the study identified several factors significantly associated with ADP receipt: patient sex, hospital service visited, veterinarian training status, visit duration, and whether a urine culture was performed. Among cats receiving any antimicrobial, receipt of WHO Watch or Reserve (WR) category drugs was associated with hospital service, visit date, receipt of more than one antimicrobial, and a history of visiting any hospital service within the prior month. The WHO AWaRe classification was adapted to include veterinary-specific agents for the exploratory outcome analysis. These findings provide valuable baseline data on feline outpatient antimicrobial use patterns at a teaching institution. The identification of modifiable factors—such as veterinarian training status and service-specific prescribing habits—offers targeted opportunities for antimicrobial stewardship interventions. The study acknowledges limitations inherent to single-institution retrospective design but underscores the importance of establishing benchmarking metrics for veterinary antimicrobial use in support of broader One Health stewardship initiatives.

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