One hundred and four dogs with clinical signs of urinary tract infection were selected by 15 practitioners in a multicentric, controlled and randomised study. The clinical diagnosis was confirmed by urinalysis and imaging. Each dog received either marbofloxacin (2 mg/kg orally once daily or 4 mg/kg by subcutaneous injection every four days) or amoxicillin-clavulanic acid tablets (12.5 mg/kg twice daily) for 10 or 28 days, depending on the clinical diagnosis. Rectal temperature, general condition, appetite, urinary signs, defecation disorders and pain on abdominal palpation were monitored at each visit, the timetable depending on diagnosis: three urinalyses and at least three examinations per case were performed. Side effects were also thoroughly sought at each examination. Marbofloxacin and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid both yielded good bacteriological cure rates (96.2 per cent versus 85.0 per cent, respectively) and clinical cure rates (83.3 per cent versus 69.7 per cent). Fewer relapses were observed in those dogs that received marbofloxacin. Few mild side effects were recorded with both products.

One hundred and three cats presenting with clinical signs of feline acute upper respiratory infection were selected from Belgium, France and the Netherlands in a randomised comparative field trial. Each cat underwent a bacteriological examination before treatment (day 0) and received either marbofloxacin, at a dosage of 2 mg/kg once daily for five days, or amoxycillin-clavulanic acid (ACA) at a dosage of 12.5 mg/kg twice daily for five days. Clinical examinations were performed on days 2, 5 and 14. Pasteurella species were cultured in one-third of the samples. The other main bacteria isolated were Streptococcaceae, Enterobacteriaceae and Staphylococcaceae. Response rates (cures + improvements) to treatment on day 5 were 87.8 vs 77.8 per cent for marbofloxacin and ACA, respectively. A few mild side-effects (diarrhoea, vomiting) were recorded with both drugs.

Eighteen healthy beagle dogs of both sexes were each given 0, 2 or 4 mg/kg marbofloxacin intravenously before the subcutaneous implantation of a silicon tissue cage. Two millilitres of a suspension containing 1.3 x 10(4) colony forming units (CFU)/ml of Staphylococcus intermedius were then injected into the cage 15 minutes after the intravenous injection. The dogs were clinically assessed immediately, and then two, four, eight and 24 hours after the challenge. Samples of inflammatory fluid were harvested at the same times in order to count staphylococci and to assay marbofloxacin concentrations. Blood samples were taken in order to assay plasma marbofloxacin levels. The staphylococcal counts were lower in both treated groups than in untreated dogs (P < 0.01). All the clinical criteria were similar in the three groups. The concentration of marbofloxacin was similar in plasma and inflammatory fluid. Both doses were well tolerated and no adverse reactions were observed.

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