Assessment of accredited veterinary diagnostic laboratory use of breakpoints for canine and feline infections in the United States and Canada.

The objective of this study was to assess the use of breakpoints in antibiotic susceptibility testing among veterinary diagnostic laboratories in the United States and Canada. An eight-question survey was conducted via phone and email to determine how often laboratories use breakpoints consistent with published guidelines in wounds, lower urinary tract infections and upper urinary tract infections (pyelonephritis) involving , both in dogs and cats, for a total of 6 different hypothetical clinical scenarios. Nineteen veterinary diagnostic laboratories that perform antibiotic susceptibility testing on samples from dogs and cats in the United States or Canada and were accredited by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD) responded to the survey between January 15th and September 15th, 2022.