Routine antibiotics did not reduce postoperative complications in dogs undergoing dental extractions for severe periodontal disease, according to a new study.
Researchers at the University of Naples Federico II reviewed 62 dogs with stage 3 or 4 periodontal disease that underwent one or more dental extractions and had at least 30 days of follow-up.
Of these, 38 received no antibiotics and 24 received perioperative antimicrobial prophylaxis. The researchers compared postoperative pain, bleeding, infection, wound healing and gingivitis, with dogs reassessed at seven, 15 and 30 days.
There were no postoperative infections or cases of persistent bleeding in either group, and all extraction sites had healed by 30 days.
Postoperative pain was recorded in two dogs that received no antibiotics and one dog that received prophylaxis, with no significant difference between the groups.
The main difference was in persistent gingivitis. At 30 days, gingivitis was recorded in 10 of 38 dogs that had not received antibiotics, compared with 15 of 24 dogs that had. Antibiotic use remained associated with persistent gingivitis after statistical adjustment, although the study cannot show that the antibiotics caused this.
The study was retrospective rather than randomised, and antibiotic use largely reflected a change in hospital policy over the study period. Other changes in case management over time could therefore have influenced the results.
The researchers concluded that they found no clear clinical benefit from routine antimicrobial prophylaxis in these dogs, although larger prospective studies are needed.
The findings do not suggest that antibiotics have no place in veterinary dentistry, particularly where there is spreading infection or another individual clinical indication. They do, however, add to the evidence questioning whether dogs should routinely receive antibiotics simply because dental extractions have been performed.
For practices looking at antimicrobial stewardship, dental prescribing may be a useful area to audit.
Full paper available here: Cavalli S, Aragosa F, Caterino C, et al. Impact of surgical antibiotic prophylaxis on postoperative complications following dental extractions in dogs with severe periodontal disease: a retrospective observational study. BMC Veterinary Research. Published 9 October 2026.