18 Jun 2026
RUMA – Companion Animal and Equine officials said the new resources offer “a real step forward” on reducing antimicrobial usage in vet practice.
Chris Simpson
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Image © pimmimemom / Adobe Stock
Industry group officials are hoping their newly published resources will facilitate a “culture change” in companion animal care around reducing antimicrobial use (AMU).
The Responsible Use of Medicines Alliance – Companion Animal and Equine (RUMA CA&E) group unveiled condition-specific toolkits at BVA Live focused on AMU reduction in cases of cat bite abscesses and canine acute diarrhoea.
Speaking at the unveiling session, RUMA CA&E secretary general Steve Howard said: “If these guidelines guide you to not use antibiotics in the vast majority of cases, then that’s a real step forward from where we are today.
“It’s not about making huge jumps in either giving antibiotics or the types of antibiotics that are given, it’s about taking steps towards [only giving antibiotics when it’s appropriate].”
He added: “It’s about making some different – might be slightly uncomfortable – decisions with the case that’s presented to you.”
In November, RUMA CA&E’s Targets and Measures Working Group set out the objective of a 30% overall reduction in AMU in dogs and cats, and a 50% reduction in highest priority critically important antimicrobials in cats.
Appearing alongside Mr Howard, working group chair Kit Sturgess said: “It’s not just about going to people saying, ‘well, there’s some evidence’. It’s about how do you practically move your practice from what is being done today to what you would hope might be done in six months’ time.
“It’s those barriers to change that are probably a lot more inhibiting than the lack of evidence in some of these areas, so we’ve tried to produce a toolkit to help people get from where they are today to where they want to go.”
Asked by University of Cambridge vet student Shreya Patel how younger clinicians can introduce the guidelines if practice leadership are resistant, Mr Howard said he hoped the toolkits can facilitate a “culture change”, adding: “It’s about turning the tables on those lone voices.”
Dr Sturgess admitted it can be a “hard task”, but added: “Part of our resources is about how you take the whole practice on the journey.”
He concluded: “It’s a process, it’s discussing with your colleagues, it’s not going from zero to 100% today.”