Public health officials are urging pet owners to take more care about the use of antibiotics, and to wash their hands regularly after handling cats and dogs, in a bid to tackle the rise of antibiotic resistance.

Pets are passing on drug-resistant infections to owners, experts have warned, as they call for a crackdown on use of antibiotics amongst animals.

Public Health England (PHE) is urging pet owners to be careful in their use of antibiotics, to slow the spread of drug-resistant bacteria such as E.coli and MRSA.

The superbugs can be spread between animals and humans, with some forms of bacteria found in more than one in three healthy dogs.

Health officials are concerned that the use of antibiotics among pets could be fuelling the spread of antibiotic resistance.

It follows a warning from the World Health Organisation that levels of resistance are reaching “dangerously high levels” globally.

Public health officials in this country have now issued a warning to pet owners not to put pressure on vets to dole out antibiotics, and to ensure that pets complete any courses which are prescribed.

Infections such as MRSA and drug-resistant E.coli can be caught by humans and animals, and mutate between species, causing different types of ill-effects.

The spread of drug-resistant bacteria from pets increases levels circulating in humans, and vice versa, increasing risks in both groups.

British research has found that 40 per cent of healthy pet dogs carry multi-drug-resistant strains of bacteria, a higher proportion than seen in people, highlighting pets as a potentially important source of antibiotic-resistant germs.

Other international studies have suggested that owners are more likely to transmit infections to their pets, with more multiple drug-resistant strains of E.coli found in owners than in their dogs.

Health officials said pet owners needed to take care of their own hygiene, washing hands before and after dealing with pets to reduce risks of infections.

Dr Diane Ashiru-Oredope, Pharmacist Lead for the Antimicrobial Resistance programme at PHE said: “Many people do not realise that antibiotic resistant bacteria can pass between humans and animals and vice versa.”

“It’s important that people are aware of how transmission of these bugs can occur and how to minimise any risk, for example by practicing careful hand hygiene at all times.”

She said it was important that pets took exactly the drug doses which were prescribed.

Pet owners are also being asked not to re-use antibiotics used for earlier illnesses, or to swap them between different animals.

Professor Pete Borriello, Chief Executive of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, said: “Resistance to antibiotics is a global health issue. We all have a responsibility as patients and animal owners to use antibiotics correctly so they remain effective in keeping us and our animals healthy.

Antibiotic resistance means that an antibiotic has lost its ability to effectively control or kill the bacteria for which it has been given.

Jill Moss founded the Bella Moss Foundation nine years ago after her dog died from an MRSA infection.

She said: “While we don’t know for sure how many antibiotics are given to pets we do know more doctors are prescribing them for people, and that more super-resistant types of bacteria are starting to emerge around the world.

“These potentially fatal infections can travel from humans to pets and back again, and we could all be at risk unless we make a concerted effort to use these precious drugs responsibly – both in people and in the pets we love.”