Evidence that faecal carriage of resistant by 16-week-old dogs in the United Kingdom is associated with raw feeding.

We report a survey (August 2017 to March 2018) and risk factor analysis of faecal carriage of antibacterial-resistant (ABR) in 223 16-week-old dogs in the United Kingdom. Raw feeding was associated with the presence of fluoroquinolone-resistant (FQ-R) and those resistant to tetracycline, amoxicillin, and streptomycin, but not to cefalexin. Whole genome sequencing of 36 FQ-R isolates showed a wide range of sequence types (STs), with almost exclusively mutational FQ-R dominated by ST744 and ST162. Comparisons between isolates from puppies known to be located within a 50 × 50 km region with those isolated from human urinary tract infections (isolated in parallel in the same region) identified an ST744 FQ-R lineage that was carried by one puppy and caused one urinary tract infection. Accordingly, we conclude that raw feeding is associated with carriage of ABR in dogs even at 16 weeks of age and that bacteria carried by puppies are shared with humans. We therefore suggest that those who feed their dogs raw meat seriously consider the potential ABR-transmission threat their pet may become as a result and deploy appropriate hygiene practices in mitigation.