The bacteriology and antimicrobial susceptibility of infected and non-infected dog bite wounds: Fifty cases

• Published in: Veterinary microbiology Vol. 127; no. 3; pp. 360 - 368
• Main Authors: Meyers, Bruce, Schoeman, Johan P., Goddard, Amelia, Picard, Jackie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 18.03.2008; Amsterdam; New York: Elsevier; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Actinomyces; aerobes; anaerobes; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; antibiotic resistance; Antimicrobial susceptibility; Bacillus; Bacillus (bacteria); Bacteria, Aerobic - drug effects; Bacteria, Aerobic - isolation & purification; Bacteria, Anaerobic - drug effects; Bacteria, Anaerobic - isolation & purification; bacterial infections; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Bite wounds; bites and stings; Bites and Stings - microbiology; Bites and Stings - veterinary; Canine; Canis; Capnocytophaga canimorsus; Clostridium; Dog; dogs; Dogs - injuries; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; infection; Male; microbial growth; microbial load; Microbial Sensitivity Tests - veterinary; Microbiology; Miscellaneous; Pasteurella; Pasteurella canis; Peptostreptococcus; Prevotella; Prospective Studies; Sex Factors; Streptococcaceae; Wound Infection - drug therapy; Wound Infection - microbiology; Wound Infection - veterinary; Wounds and Injuries - drug therapy; Wounds and Injuries - microbiology; Wounds and Injuries - veterinary; Bite wounds; Antimicrobial susceptibility; Dog; Bacteriology; Canine; Fissipedia; Carnivora; Bite; Wound; Infection; Vertebrata; Antibiotic; Mammalia; Sensitivity resistance; Bacteria; Veterinary; Biological contamination
• ISSN: 0378-1135; 1873-2542
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2007.09.004

Dog bite wounds are a common reason for dogs requiring veterinary care, but there is surprisingly little data on the bacteriology of bite wounds. A prospective study was performed on dogs with various grades of bite wound to identify the bacteria present in these wounds. Swabs were collected from all wounds for bacterial culture and cytology. All swabs were cultured aerobically and anaerobically and all aerobic cultures were evaluated for antibiotic susceptibility using the Kirby Bauer disk diffusion test. Fifty dogs with 104 bite wounds, inflicted within the previous 72 h, were included. The victims were predominately intact male small breed dogs. Of the 104 wounds, 21 were judged by cytology to be infected and 83 non-infected. Infected wounds were significantly more likely to culture positive ( p = 0.02). Sixteen percent of wounds showed no growth. Sixteen percent grew aerobes, 1% anaerobes and 67% a mixture of aerobes and anaerobes. Pasteurella canis and pyogenic streptococci were common in infected wounds, whereas Bacillus spp., Actinomyces spp. and the oral streptococci were usually found in contaminated wounds. Three anaerobic genera were cultured, namely, Prevotella, Clostridium and Peptostreptococcus. One case represented the first isolation of Capnocytophaga canimorsus in an infected dog bite wound. Although no single antibiotic therapy was considered to be effective against all the bacteria, amoxycillin plus clavulanic acid, 1st and 3rd generation cephalosporins ampicillin or amoxycillin and potentiated sulphonamides gave the best in vitro sensitivity results.