It's all too easy to take antibiotics for granted, but if we are not careful it may be that they become next to useless... On today’s episode of the Call The Vet podcast, I talk about one of the most serious problems that we may face in the near future, resistance to antibiotics. Antimicrobial resistance is an issue for both humans and animals as we’re educating bacteria to adapt themselves to overcome antibiotics, which may mean that simple infections that we used to treat with penicillin or other common antibiotics could once again become deadly.I would like to encourage you to be wary of overusing antibiotics for your animals, as there are ways that we can treat pets with first-class, evidence-based care that avoid unnecessary antibiotics. Today in my own practice, I have become much more cautious of prescribing antibiotics and try to use other approaches first before reaching for antibiotics.Listen in to some of my listener questions about antibiotics, such as if one kind of antibiotic is better than another, what else pet owners should do when their animal is prescribed antibiotics, whether transdermal antibiotic options are available, and more.Please share this episode with anyone who you think would benefit from this important message on appropriate antibiotic usage.Timestamps:[02:47] The overuse of antibiotics: One of the biggest risks to our health and that of our animals[03:25] The history of antibiotics[04:48] Using the right antibiotic for the right infection[05:58] A best guess attempt at prescribing antibiotics[06:43] Why we don’t always run tests to find out what the infection is[07:19] What’s an inappropriate use of antibiotics?[08:20] The most common inappropriate usages of antibiotics in dogs[09:56] Inappropriate antibiotic usage in cats[11:47] Reduction in the use of antibiotics[13:13] Talking to pet owners about antibiotic usage[14:29] Are there any kinds of antibiotics that are better or safer than others?[16:59] Should cats take probiotics at the same time as antibiotics?[18:01] What else should a pet owner do when their animal is taking antibiotics?[19:16] Are there transdermal antibiotic options available?[20:49] Other methods of administering medication to animals[23:15] We’re all part of the solution Head over to the full show notes for more information on safe, responsible antibiotic use in pets