The Friend Who Helps You Move, but Is Really Only There for the Free Beer and Pizza: An Update on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (AST) and Breakpoints for Companion Animal Dermatology

Antimicrobial resistance is a significant public health threat and a major challenge for treatment of companion animal skin infections. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) is a critical tool which clinicians should employ when a patient may need antimicrobials beyond those deemed "first-tier." Clinicians may have noted that many more isolates of Staphylococcus sp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa appear more resistant which likely reflects both the emergence of acquired antimicrobial resistance, but also changes to clinical definitions which are outlined in this article.