Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40241166›Full record

SynthesisBMC veterinary research2025

Short versus longer duration antibiotic treatment for urinary tract infections in companion animals: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Fiona Emdin, Sean W X Ong, Clare McGall, Valerie Leung, Kevin L Schwartz, Bradley J Langford, Kevin A Brown, Susan Massarella, Nick Daneman

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC veterinary research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Fiona EmdinPublic Health Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada. Fiona.emdin@mail.utoronto.ca.
Sean W X OngInstitute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Clare McGallGlobal Strategy Lab, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Valerie LeungPublic Health Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Kevin L SchwartzPublic Health Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Bradley J LangfordPublic Health Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Kevin A BrownPublic Health Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Susan MassarellaPublic Health Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Nick DanemanPublic Health Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundUnnecessarily prolonged antibiotic durations may contribute to the development of resistance in both humans and animals. Veterinarians need evidence supporting antibiotic treatment durations. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to compare the efficacy of shorter durations of antibiotic treatment to longer durations in treating urinary tract infections (UTIs) in dogs and cats.

methodsFour databases (MEDLINE, Scopus, EMBASE, and CAB Abstracts) were searched from inception to October 2nd, 2024. Studies that reported the impact of antibiotic treatments of different durations for simple UTIs in dogs or cats and reported a primary outcome of interest, specifically clinical or microbiological resolution of the UTIs, were included. For each study, two reviewers independently screened extracted data and evaluated the risk of bias. Random effects models were used to compare pooled risk ratios of cure rates.

resultsOf 2,324 studies screened, we identified three studies (two randomized and one nonrandomized controlled trial) which met our inclusion criteria for meta-analysis. Studies examined only 26 animals (9 events) across their short-duration arms and 28 animals (17 events) across long-duration arms. All studies were assessed as having high or serious risk of bias. The pooled risk ratio for cure with short versus longer durations of treatment was 0.55, 95% CI: 0.23-1.27; the evidence was graded as very low certainty. Studies compared 1 to 3-day durations, 3 days to 14-day and 3 days to 21-day durations.

conclusionBased on this data alone, we cannot make conclusions about the efficacy of short compared to long antibiotic durations for treating UTIs in cats and dogs; due to the low numbers of included studies and patients, the confidence intervals for the pooled risk ratio were wide and could be consistent with inferiority or superiority of shorter treatment. Existing evidence supports shorter durations of antibiotics for treating sporadic UTIs in dogs and cats, however this systematic review and meta-analysis highlights that this is still a serious knowledge gap that must be addressed. Studies that examine optimal antibiotic durations for treating UTIs in dogs and cats are urgently needed to support clinical decision-making, inform guidelines, and improve antimicrobial stewardship in veterinary medicine. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: Open science framework ( https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/2YJPM ).

Indexed as

Anti-Bacterial AgentsCat DiseasesDog DiseasesUrinary Tract InfectionsAnimalsCatsDogsTime FactorsAnti-Bacterial AgentsAntibioticsAntimicrobial stewardshipCatsDecision makingDogsUrine cultureVeterinarians

Identifiers

PMID40241166
PMCPMC12004815

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.