L'integrazione alimentare naturale quale alternativa all'uso degli antimicrobici in corso di diarrea acuta nel cane: un'indagine sulla percezione dei proprietari rispetto al rischio di antimicrobico-resistenza

Antimicrobials (AMs) are invaluable agents to treat bacterial infectious diseases in humans and animals. The large number of available molecules started a period of indiscriminate underuse, overuse and misuse, leading to the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Both resistant bacteria and resistance genes can be mutually transferred between humans, animals, and the environment, supporting the need for a One-Health approach to fight this phenomenon. Over the last decades, pet population has had an extraordinary increase. The cohabitation between household pets and humans and the similar therapeutic approaches with AMs, creates advantageous conditions for interspecific transmission of resistant bacteria. Acute diarrhea, represents one of the most common causes of veterinary consultation. Concerned owners often seek for professional help even if diarrhea is usually self-limiting and likely to resolve without any medical intervention. Many cases of uncomplicated acute diarrhea are treated with AMs, despite the emerging evidence that their administration is often unnecessary, and it contributes to AMR spread. At present, the research of nutritional alternatives to treat acute diarrhea is crucial for the scientific community. The use of probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics has revealed encouraging results. Recently, attention has been focused on the role played by oxidative stress and antioxidant supplementation during acute diarrhea episodes. The thesis deals with an online cross-sectional survey submitted to dog owners living in Italy, to gather information concerning their perceptions on AM use, especially as regards canine acute diarrhea, and on the AMR emerging issue. The main aims are: 1) to highlight the habits of AM usage in canine patients in Italy, with emphasis on self-administration; 2) to investigate the dog owners’ knowledge about AMR; and 3) to explore their attitude towards alternative strategies to AM administration in the course of acute diarrhea. The survey was organized into three separate sections: 1) demographic and epidemiologic section; 2) AM usage section and 3) AMR perception section. Two-hundred and fifty questionnaires were returned and underwent statistical analysis. The results of our survey indicate that there is a great concern about AMR and a good attitude towards alternative strategies to treat canine acute diarrhea, supporting the development of such approach.