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Microbiology
When
infection is present in your pet, often a judicious choice
of antibiotics by our vets is sufficient to resolve the
problem. However, it may be necessary to establish exactly
what bacteria or fungi are present if the infection does not
resolve with the initial course of antibiotics.
The procedure we follow in this instance is to take a
sample of the infected area - for example, hairs and/or a
skin scraping from skin, a swab from ears, a urine sample -
then either plate the sample onto fungal growth media in our
own laboratory, or send the sample to a nearby laboratory
for culture. Once the organism has been grown, it is
identified by microscopic examination and a variety of
biochemical tests.
Antibiotic sensitivity
testing may also be used to determine the most appropriate
antibiotic for treatment of disease. Sometimes in resistant
infections, six to eight weeks worth of antibiotics may be
required. In these cases, it is desirable to treat with a
drug that is most effective at killing the organism in
question.
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