Abstract
Feline eye infections are one of the most common clinical presentations in small animal practice and are often secondary to opportunistic bacterial pathogens. It is essential for the treatment of such infections and to reduce the spread of antimicrobial resistance that the pathological agents are accurately identified and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns are determined. The objective of this study was to clinically characterize ocular infections in cats, identify the respective bacterial pathogens, and investigate their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns. A total of 60 feline cases were clinically examined at private veterinary clinics across different areas of Diyala Province, Iraq, between November 2022 and May 2023. Ocular swabs were aseptically collected from the corneal and conjunctival regions of infected eyes and directly inoculated onto culture media. Samples were incubated at 37°C for 24–48 hours, followed by bacterial identification using the VITEK 2 system. Clinically, affected cats exhibited lacrimation, conjunctival hyperemia, and mucopurulent discharge. The predominant bacterial isolates were Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas spp., while Escherichia coli and Proteus spp. were less frequently identified. The prevalence of infection was higher in males (90%) compared to females (76.7%), in younger cats aged 2–12 months (90.9%) compared to older cats aged 1–5 years (75.0%), and in crossbred cats (Himalayan: 84.2%; Shirazi: 90.5%) compared to local breeds (60%). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed a high level of resistance to β-lactam antibiotics, potentially attributable to β-lactamase production among bacterial isolates. In conclusion: This study shows that Staphylococcus aureus was the most prevalent pathogen associated with feline ocular infections. Male and younger cats were more susceptible to infection, and crossbreds were more likely than purebreds to test positive for antibodies against the coronavirus. Conclusion: The above findings witness the necessity for routine bacteriological examination and antimicrobial susceptibility especially to ensure appropriate therapeutic strategy and prevent emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance.

Key words: Pathogenic bacteria, Ocular infection, Antibacterial activity, Cats.