Rojahn Alicia, Leps Anna Sophia, Goericke-Pesch Sandra
Unit for Reproductive Medicine - Clinic for Small Animals, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Hannover, Germany.
Front Vet Sci. 2025 Jul 29;12:1645496. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1645496. eCollection 2025.
Despite the growing global threat of antimicrobial resistance, many dog breeders still request antimicrobial treatment prior to mating, often based on vaginal bacterial culture examinations. However, several previous studies failed to identify differences in the vaginal microbiota between healthy dogs and those with reproductive tract disorders; thus, treating healthy bitches with antimicrobials regardless of the bacterial findings is contraindicated. To investigate current practices of German small animal veterinarians regarding microbiological sampling and antimicrobial treatment in canine reproductive medicine, we conducted an online survey using LimeSurvey®. The questionnaire included questions (single/multiple choice) about procedures of microbiological swab sampling and handling in general and in canine reproductive medicine specifically, as well as on antimicrobial use in the respective field. The objective was to identify educational and research needs regarding vaginal bacterial culture interpretation and antimicrobial treatment in canine breeding. We found that treating clinically healthy breeding bitches remains common practice among both breeders and veterinarians. Our findings highlight the importance of continuous education and improved communication to reduce inappropriate antimicrobial use in canine reproduction. Furthermore, research on the reproductive microbiome in relation to fertility is essential for evidence-based treatment decisions.
尽管全球抗菌药物耐药性的威胁日益增加，但许多犬类饲养者仍在交配前要求进行抗菌治疗，这通常基于阴道细菌培养检查。然而，此前的多项研究未能发现健康犬与患有生殖道疾病的犬之间阴道微生物群的差异；因此，无论细菌检测结果如何，对健康母犬进行抗菌治疗都是禁忌的。为了调查德国小动物兽医在犬类生殖医学中进行微生物采样和抗菌治疗的当前做法，我们使用LimeSurvey®进行了一项在线调查。问卷包括关于微生物拭子采样程序以及一般情况下特别是犬类生殖医学中的处理程序的问题（单项/多项选择），以及关于各自领域抗菌药物使用的问题。目的是确定在犬类繁殖中关于阴道细菌培养解读和抗菌治疗的教育和研究需求。我们发现，对临床健康的繁殖母犬进行治疗在饲养者和兽医中仍然是常见做法。我们的研究结果强调了持续教育和改善沟通以减少犬类繁殖中不适当抗菌药物使用的重要性。此外，关于生殖微生物群与生育力关系的研究对于基于证据的治疗决策至关重要。
