Screening of Chemical Residues and Antimicrobial Resistance in Dehydrated Chicken Feet Intended as Dog Treats: A Pilot Study

The petpopulationissteadilyincreasingworldwide,andtreats,whichaccountforapproximately15%ofthepetfoodmarket,are the fastest-growingsegmentofthepetfoodindustry.However,thewidespreaduseofantimicrobialsinpoultryfarmsmaypose a directrisktopets’health,leadingtotheemergenceofantimicrobialresistance.Forthisreason,wesoughttoassessthepossible presence ofdrugresiduesandantimicrobial-resistantbacteriainalimitedcohortof11dehydratedchickenfeetintendedasdog treats purchasedfromtheEuropeanmarket.Residuesofnicarbazin(64%),4-4Cdinitrocarbanilide(64%),semicarbazide(91%), decoquinate (9%),cypermethrin(27%),dichlorvos(9%),pirimiphos-methyl(36%),piperonylbutoxide(18%),toltrazurilsulfone (9%), doxycycline(9%),lasalocidA(9%),monensinA(9%),and37bacterialstrainsbelongingtothe Staphylococcus genus (S. warneri, S. haemolyticus, S. pasteuri, and S. intermedius) weredetectedamongallsamples. S. warneri species wasresistantto oxacillin, erythromycin,clindamycin,teicoplanin,andtetracycline(25%,25%,37.5%,6.25%,and6.25%,respectively), S. haemolyticus was alsoresistanttoerythromycin,clindamycin,teicoplanin,andtetracycline(52.9%,11.7%,29.4%,and35.2%, respectively), while S. pasteuri was resistanttobothoxacillinandclindamycin(66.6%and33.3%,respectively).Noresistancewas detected for S. intermedius. Thedetectionofmultipleresiduesfurthersuggeststhepossibilityofcumulativeorsynergistictoxic eEects, especiallywithprolongedintake.Inthissense,aOneHealthapproachtomitigaterisksassociatedwithantimicrobial resistance andchemicalexposureinpetsand,inturn,inhumansbecomesmandatory.