His foster owner Lexi Monaghan was told he would unlikely live more than a few days, but antibiotics saved his life and brought him back to good health.

While the healing powers of antibiotics are not in question, a leading vet warns some used to treat pets can contribute to drug resistance in both animals and humans.

Veterinarian Dr Stephen Page from the Australian Veterinary Association urged pet owners to be careful with the use of the medication, to slow the spread of drug-resistant bacteria.

"The incorrect and overuse of antibiotics in hospitals, at the vet, on farms, and in communities right across the globe is leading us down a dangerous and irreversible path that's seeing people increasingly die of infections that were once treatable," Dr Page said.

"We all have a part to play in preserving life-saving antibiotics. For pet owners, if their animal has been prescribed with an antibiotic, it's essential that they follow their veterinarian's advice to a T and give the full course and correct dose to their pet."

In Rufus' case, the vet gave him one course of antibiotics while he was still in the hospital and prescribed a second course to Ms Monaghan to give her cat at home, which would ensure the bug was killed.

He stressed Rufus needed to complete the full course and receive the correct dose, but Ms Monaghan said he did not explain all of the reasons why.

"They did give us advice on doing the full course but they didn't explain that one reason is because it can contribute to the spread of antibiotics-resistant bacteria," she said.

"I think vets should tell people so they are aware of it, because I think that is something that people don't really think about, that it can affect them the way it affects us."

With antibiotics becoming an urgent public health issue, researchers are exploring the capacity for humans and our four-legged friends to transfer drug-resistant bacteria.

One Chinese study recently published in the Journal of Emerging Infectious Diseases found that a pet shop worker, along with four dogs and two cats in his shop, were infected with a strain of bacteria that can cause resistance to the last-resort antibiotic colistin.

Dr Page said the risk of this exchange was low as Australia was fairly conservative with the use of antibiotics on farms and in vets, but it was a growing problem.

"We all have a part to play in preserving life-saving antibiotics. For pet owners, if their animal has been prescribed with an antibiotic, it's essential that they follow their veterinarian's advice to a T and give the full course and correct dose to their pet," Dr Page said.

"The way that antibiotics work for our pets is the same for humans so antibiotics are only prescribed for bacterial infections, as they do not help fight viral infections."

He said the best way to prevent antibiotic resistance was to keep pets fit and healthy and allow their natural immunity to fight off bugs.