Efficacy of single-dose ceftriaxone versus multiple-dose enrofloxacin in dogs with uncomplicated lower urinary tract infection: a randomised clinical trial

Dogs with uncomplicated lower urinary tract infection (LUTI) are usually treated with appropriate antibiotics for 10-14 days. In humans, a single dose of ceftriaxone is employed in the treatment of uncomplicated LUTI. The purpose of the current study was to compare the efficacy of a single dose of ceftriaxone with multiple dose (14 days) enrofloxacin administration in dogs with uncomplicated LUTI. Forty-seven non-pregnant client-owned dogs with LUTI signs were enrolled in this prospective, controlled, randomised, blinded clinical trial. The inclusion criteria were the presence of at least one type of bacteria greater than or equal to 1000 CFU/ml in each urine sample. Dogs were assigned randomly to Group ENR (n = 23) enrofloxacin treatment (5 mg/kg, s.c., s.i.d., for 14 days) and Group CEF (n = 20) ceftriaxone treatment (25 mg/kg, i.v., once). The time needed for disappearance of clinical signs ranged from 4-9 days and 1-5 days for Group ENR and Group CEF, respectively. Clinical signs significantly improved earlier in Group CEF than in Group ENR (P < 0.0001). Urine culture with less than or equal to 1000 CFU/ml was achieved on Days 17-21 after the first day of treatment in all dogs. Although a single dose of ceftriaxone can be considered as an alternative treatment to alleviate the signs of uncomplicated LUTI in dogs, its status as drug of last resort is a limiting factor for its extensive use in clinical practice.