Bacterial isolates and antimicrobial susceptibilities from odontogenic abscesses in rabbits: 48 cases

The medical record database of a veterinary teaching hospital was searched from 2000 through 2014 for records of client-owned rabbits with positive cultures from odontogenic abscesses. Data reviewed included sex, age, abscess location, sampling technique, previous antimicrobial treatments, microorganisms identified and antibiotic susceptibility of aerobic bacteria. Forty-eight client owned rabbits with one or more odontogenic abscesses and culture results were evaluated. One hundred and eighty-five isolates (52 aerobic, 133 anaerobic) were identified from 61 positive cultures from odontogenic abscesses. The most common aerobic bacterial isolates were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (14/52), Pasteurella species (10/52), Streptococcus species (8/52) and Staphylococcus species (7/52). The most common anaerobic bacterial isolates were Fusobacterium species (36/133), Peptostreptococcus species (27/133) and Bacteroides species (27/133). Mixed aerobic and anaerobic isolates were detected in 73.3 per cent of cultures and 50.8 per cent of the samples had greater than three isolates. P aeruginosa was susceptible to amikacin and gentamicin, had variable resistance to enrofloxacin, and resistance to chloramphenicol. Pasteurella species, Streptococcus species and Staphylococcus species isolates were susceptible to most antibiotics tested. The bacterial isolates from rabbit odontogenic abscesses are a mixture of aerobic and anaerobic Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms and without culture and susceptibility testing, it is difficult to predict appropriate antimicrobial treatment.