Prevalence of bacteremia in dogs admitted to an intensive care unit with intravenous catheterization

Bacteremia is a common complication in hospitalized patients, and intravenous catheterization is a routine intervention in dogs in intensive care units (ICU). This study aimed to investigate bacteria associated with bacteremia in an ICU of a veterinary teaching hospital during 2013-2014. Fifty dogs admitted to the ICU were included in this study. Twenty-four dogs (48.00%) presented bacteremia by blood culture. Bacterial species were identified, including Klebsiella pneumoniae (8/24), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (7/24), Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (3/24), Escherichia coli (2/24), Bacillus sp. (1/24), Acinetobacter sp. (2/24) and Burkholderia cepacia (1/24). Only five dogs had positive catheter colonization by identical bacterial species with those isolated from blood. Risk factors and clinical presentation were not associated with bacteremia in the dogs and need further evaluation. The study showed that commensal flora and environmental saprophytes were sources of bacteremia in canine patients admitted to the ICU.