ArticleThe Journal of small animal practice2025
Understanding the rationale for metronidazole use in dogs and cats.
Article in The Journal of small animal practice, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
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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.
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.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Clinical benefit of faecal microbiota transplantation administered via a single retention enema as an adjunctive treatment in dogs with chronic enteropathy: a randomised controlled trial.The Journal of small animal practice · 2026Article
- Retrospective Analysis of Antibiotic Use in Dogs with Chronic Inflammatory Enteropathy Prior to Referral: 144 Cases (2020-2024).Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2026Article
- Not just another "AMR is important" message yet again… How veterinarians are making clear progress on better use of antimicrobials.The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
12 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveIt is currently unknown how often antibiotics (including metronidazole) are used for non-antibacterial purposes in dogs and cats. This study looked to characterise the rationale for metronidazole prescription in these species.
methodsRetrospective cohort study. Veterinarians reported clinical information for dogs and cats treated with metronidazole in the previous year, including the rationale for metronidazole selection.
resultsThree hundred and thirty-two cases were reported by 138 veterinarians describing metronidazole use in 47 cats and 285 dogs. Metronidazole was most commonly prescribed to treat acute diarrhoea (n = 156, 47%), chronic diarrhoea (n = 79, 24%) or giardiasis (n = 36, 11%). Veterinarians selected metronidazole exclusively for non-antimicrobial targeted therapy in 42% of cases (125/300). Putative anti-inflammatory/immunomodulatory properties were cited in 64% of cases (213/332). Educational resources (41/92, 45%), team-based collaboration (29/92, 32%) and specialist consultation (10/92, 11%) were cited as the supportive basis for these prescription choices. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Veterinarians are using metronidazole frequently for non-antimicrobial properties in contradiction to antimicrobial use guidelines. Future stewardship programs should adapt guidance specifically to counter this prescribing behaviour.
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Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.