Practical Steps Toward Antimicrobial Stewardship for the General Practitioner

Antimicrobial resistance threatens animal and human health; companion animal veterinarians play a growing role in antimicrobial stewardship and client education. This article provides practical steps veterinarians can take to reduce unnecessary antimicrobial use (AMU) while maintaining high-quality patient care. Informed by the American Veterinary Medical Association stewardship principles, it covers individual and practice-level commitments, disease prevention, judicious prescribing through the "five rights," evaluation of current AMU practices, and building stewardship expertise. Behavioral and implementation science perspectives are incorporated to understand and address barriers such as client expectations and diagnostic constraints. These tools and strategies help advance stewardship in everyday practice.