Patterns of Bacterial Infection and Antibiotic Resistance in Canine Corneal Ulcers: A Retrospective Analysis (Berlin, Germany, 2021-2024).

Culture-guided therapy is essential, as 27% of canine corneal ulcer isolates demonstrated multidrug resistance.

This retrospective study examined bacterial isolates and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns from 112 dogs diagnosed with corneal ulcers at a specialized veterinary ophthalmology clinic in Berlin, Germany, between May 2021 and June 2024. Brachycephalic breeds comprised 79.5% of affected dogs, reflecting their known predisposition to ocular surface disease. Positive bacterial cultures were obtained in 79.5% of samples, yielding 107 isolates, with gram-positive organisms predominating at 72.2%. The most frequently identified pathogens were Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (27.8%) and β-hemolytic Streptococcus (19.4%). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed high resistance to penicillins (59% of isolates resistant), while aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolones maintained good activity (71% susceptibility), as did amoxicillin-clavulanate (73%) and tetracyclines (78%). Multidrug resistance (MDR), defined per CLSI criteria, was identified in 27% of isolates, representing a clinically significant finding. No seasonal associations were reported in the abstract. The authors emphasize that the prevalence of MDR isolates underscores the importance of obtaining bacterial cultures and susceptibility results before initiating antibiotic therapy for canine corneal ulcers, rather than relying solely on empirical treatment. Ongoing regional surveillance is recommended to track resistance trends and refine empirical antibiotic selection when culture results are unavailable. Clinicians treating infected corneal ulcers in dogs—particularly brachycephalic breeds—should consider aminoglycosides or fluoroquinolones as preferred empirical topical options pending culture results.

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