Companion Animal Antimicrobial Stewardship and Infection Control

2026 - 2027 Seminar Series

Join us for our monthly CAAMS Seminar Series presented by experts in their field.
 

September 28, 2026; 1:00 - 2:00 pm Eastern

Antimicrobial Stewardship in the Management of Otitis

Otitis is one of the top indications for antimicrobial prescribing in companion animal practice, and clinical management of otitis externa and media presents multiple opportunities for antimicrobial stewardship.  This seminar will explore these opportunities, including diagnostic methods such as cytological assessment and bacterial culture with antimicrobial susceptibility testing, as well as the therapeutic approach – targeted antimicrobial selection, management of inflammation, identification/control of underlying causes, and treatment duration.  Non-antibiotic approaches to the management of otitis externa, such as topical antiseptics/corticosteroids, ear cleansing, and antimicrobial peptides, will be discussed.  Challenges to antimicrobial stewardship in clinical practice and knowledge gaps for further research will also be presented.

Presented by: Christine Cain, DVM, DACVD

Dr. Christine Cain is an associate professor of dermatology and allergy at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine. She obtained her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from The Ohio State University, College of Veterinary Medicine in 2006, followed by a rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Red Bank Veterinary Hospital. She then completed a residency in dermatology and allergy at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine and achieved board certification from the American College of Veterinary Dermatology in 2010. Her clinical and research interests include infectious disease, particularly staphylococcal infections (epidemiology, clinical management, and antimicrobial stewardship), and immune-mediated disease. She was a co-author for the antimicrobial use guidelines for canine pyoderma by the International Society for Companion Animal Infectious Diseases.