Healthy Cats and Dogs AMR study expands to vet practices and animal shelters
A national study is expanding to vet practices and animal shelters to improve understanding of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in healthy cats and dogs.
Vet practices and animal shelters across the UK are being urged to help scientists assess the prevalence of AMR in healthy pet cats and dogs.
The project is being led by SRUC for the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD).
Around 100 practices and 100 shelters are being sought and will be asked about their willingness to collect and submit a sample of freely passed faeces from either a cat or dog.
Existing surveillance for AMR in dogs and cats is limited worldwide and focuses on samples from diseased animals. Antibiotic resistant bacteria can also be found in healthy animals without causing disease, meaning animals can act as reservoirs of resistance that may spread to other animals or people. This is the first time a country has developed a national surveillance system for AMR in the population of healthy dogs and cats.
Measuring AMR in pets is an essential step towards understanding the risks and shaping effective ways to reduce the spread of resistant bacteria. It will also help build future policies to protect both animal and human health.
The pilot programme will build on existing AMR surveillance programmes in healthy livestock. Dr Tamsin Dewé, the VMD’s Head of Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance and Evidence, said: “It is exciting to see the Healthy Cats and Dogs AMR project enter its second year. Having first asked pet owners to collect samples, SRUC is now working with veterinary practices and animal shelters to assess the best approach to building a representative national surveillance system. This study will strengthen our understanding of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in cats and dogs across the UK”.
SRUC Project Veterinary Epidemiologist Madeleine Henry said: “Piloting the collection of samples through vet practices and rescue shelters is an important stage in this world-first study. By engaging with willing participants and receiving as many samples as possible, we will be gaining vital insight into the use of these approaches in assessing AMR levels in healthy cats and dogs.”
To find out more about SRUC’s research into AMR surveillance in healthy pets visit: Scientists lead world-first study to track antibiotic resistance in pets | SRUC
For more information about the project email [email protected]
Posted by SRUC on 08/10/2026
