Occurrence of antibiotic resistant bacteria in dogs presented with Otitis externa at the Veterinary Teaching hospital, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria

Otitis is one of the most common infections in dogs. This has been associated with misuse of antibiotics thereby promoting the emergence of multi-resistant micro-organisms. This study was conducted to determine the occurrence and the antibiotic resistance pattern of bacterial pathogens associated with otitis in dogs presented to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Nigeria. Ear swab samples were obtained from 22 dogs diagnosed with otitis externa based on physical examination of the ear canal and otoscopic examination. Bacteriological examinations of swab samples from the affected ears were done using standard methods, followed by invitro antibiotic sensitivity test by agar disk diffusion method using the Oxoid® antibiotic discs of the commonly used antibiotics in Nigeria. Results were presented in percentages, pie chart and tables. A total of thirty-six bacterial isolates in five bacteria species namely, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis and Bacillus cereus were isolated. Pseudomonas aeruginosa had the highest occurrence. Most of the otitis cases were caused by polymicrobes than single bacterium. The resistance of all the bacterial isolates to the twelve commonly used antibiotics in human and veterinary professions in Nigeria was very high, though the fluoroquinolones still prove to be effective. The occurrence of multiple antibiotic resistant bacteria in companion animals indicates a public health risk in terms of possibility of human contact with such pathogenic bacteria. Antimicrobial resistance directly reflects the misuse of various antimicrobial agents, hence there is an urgent need for public education and control of antimicrobial usage in Nigeria