The Presence of Bacteremia in 13 Dogs Undergoing Oral Surgery Without the Use of Antibiotic Therapy

This study aimed to assess if transient bacteremia developed from dental scaling, root planing (SRP) and dental extraction(s), if the bacteria originated from oral flora, and if the amount of bacteremia produced would warrant the use of pre-, intra-, or post-operative antibiotic therapy in healthy canine patients. Blood cultures were obtained from 13 healthy dogs with chronic periodontal disease that necessitated the extraction of one tooth or multiple teeth. Patients included did not receive any antibiotic therapy for a minimum of 2 weeks prior to their scheduled procedure and did not receive antibiotic therapy intra- or post-operatively. Blood collection occurred at specific time increments to determine the presence of bacteremia and if clearance of the bacteremia occurred post-procedure. The study found transient bacteremia developed at different time increments throughout the dental procedure. At the time of the final sample collection, no bacterial growth was evident in any of the blood cultures. Results of the blood cultures indicated that only four of 13 dogs had evidence of bacterial growth at any one of the time increments; however, by the final collection, there was no bacterial growth suggesting the transient bacteremia had cleared without the use of systemic antimicrobial therapy. The study findings indicate that systemic antibiotic usage is not warranted for severe periodontal disease where an episode of transient bacteremia is produced from SRP and dental extractions in an otherwise healthy patient.