Antibiotic sensitivity testing

Today we want to introduce you to the antibiotic sensitivity test, which is extremely helpful in veterinary practice. The test is performed to determine sensitivity to antibiotics so that targeted treatment can be prescribed. The test is especially useful in cases where the patient is receiving antibiotic treatment (usually with broad-spectrum antibiotics), but over time, the treatment no longer yields the results it did at the beginning. This happens because the body develops resistance to long-term use of antibiotics. For this very reason, it is necessary to determine the sensitivity of microorganisms to antibiotics as early as possible, which shows which antibiotics are most suitable for treating the infection.

The test can be performed from many different body environments (ear, skin, feces, urine, abdomen (peritonitis), wounds), depending on the suspected site of infection; bacteria are then grown in a special medium (aerobic or anaerobic) and the bacteria’s sensitivity/resistance to antibiotics is determined.

Antibiotic sensitivity testing – speeds up the disease management process and ensures the proper prescription of antibiotics, allowing owners to enjoy faster-recovering pets!