Dr. Chris Vanderhoof is a 2013 graduate of the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine (VMCVM) at Virginia Tech, where he also earned a Masters in Public Health. It is primarily used in cats and is commonly prescribed for urinary tract infections (kidneys, bladder, and prostate) and skin infections (mainly post-traumatic wounds and abscesses). Required fields are marked *. Of course, if a cat has previously shown to have an allergic reaction to amoxicillin, it should be not administered again. Because this way people are less likely to stop their drugs and start them up again whenever they please. Reading this article until the end will solve all your queries about using this antibiotic drug for your kitty. Obviously for very small or very large cats this dose needs to be adjusted at a veterinarian's recommendation. : Furthermore, Amoxicillin is only effective for specific bacteria. Each individual drug has its own unique shelf life determined by the manufacturer. Expiration dates on drugs exist to help keep you and your pet healthier and happy. Your email address will not be published. .medication-table h2{ The answer is: No, not without the express consent and direction of your veterinarian. Adding the fish amoxicillin capsules to the feral colonys canned food is unlikely to be providing any significant benefit, and is more likely to be contributing to amoxicillin-resistant bacteria. The pain medication is Onsior. If it was previously clear and it is now cloudy even if it has NOT expired Id question the stability of this medication. Also, sometimes your cat might get a scrape that gets infected. But unfortunately, I would feel that the addition of the fish amoxicillin capsules is misguided for two reasons. Follow the dosing instructions provided by your veterinarian. If only a month and year are listed, the medication is expired on the last day of the listed month. For some people expiration dates are a hard and fast rule. Others stop the bacteria from growing, making them bacteriostatic. Give all of the amoxicillin that is prescribed for your pet, since symptoms may begin to improve before the infection is completely treated. Always consult your veterinarian and if needed they will prescribe a special formulation designed for your cat, with the appropriate dosage and concentration of Amoxicillin suited for your cats weight, age and sex. The American Veterinary Medical Association, mandates that veterinary drug expiration dates be provided on all dispensed medications when appropriate. Like you, your cat might get a respiratory infection. The goal is to add a balanced and alternative view of some controversial pet issues. Because Amoxicillin is only effective for very specific strains of bacteria only a veterinarian would know which antibiotic to prescribe for your cat for its specific affliction. Answer: Only if Approved by Your Vet Amoxicillin specifically targets certain strains of bacteria and therefore is not prescribed for all kinds of infections. Your veterinarian may help prescribe the antibiotic dose for your kitty after observing physically. Image from Instagram:@petdiseasealerts It would be prudent not to give your dog any human amoxicillin. The topic that Ill address today isHow Long Do Expired Medications Really Last? However, since kittens are vulnerable and are yet to establish a clinical history, a veterinarian will need to determine the right course of action. As far as fasting goes, many vets would agree its a standard of care to have patients fasted for 12 hours prior to any anesthetic procedure. @media screen and (max-width:1024px) { However, overdosing or giving it incorrectly is toxic for the felines. These skin infections can be very painful. If you dont have the right dosage of an antibiotic for the right length of time, it may not fully help and only lead to bacterial resistance. Common signs or symptoms of an upper respiratory infection include runny eyes, sniffling, sneezing, and sometimes even coughing. Apart from feeling pretty stupid for not knowing of this basic law (it's an FDA regulation), I had this immediate, visceral reaction to this information: That's just wrong! However, overdosing or giving it incorrectly is toxic for the felines. Since every cat is an individual, each cat will respond differently to amoxicillin. That's my take, anyway. Required fields are marked *. To know about amoxicillin dosage for cats by weight, please look at the below dosage chart by weight. If any drug is administered improperly, it can have adverse side effects, even antibiotics. align-items: center; This last is the part that can be hard to determine with many products. Doing so frequently can make the medication ineffective. If you wish to store your veterinary pharmaceuticals, it is essential that you adhere to storage guidelines. WebSo, can I give my cat amoxicillin? This could mean that if one of the kitties truly became ill, a medication like Amoxi-Drops or Clavamox may not be as effective as it would otherwise be. Yes, in an ideal and safe dose Amoxicillin is safe for your cat. } Yes The liquid form typically needs to be refrigerated. If your veterinarian doesn't have it in stock, they may write a prescription. Amoxicillin antibiotic is not approved by FDA for pet use but still veterinarians around the world often prescribe it for cats due to its tonic health properties. Giving Amoxicillin to your cat without your veterinarians prescription is not considered safe and ideal. Not the original writer, but While amoxicillin would likely be prescribed to a cat in this condition, you will have to get a vets approval to use the antibiotic. Amoxicillin with clavulanic acid is common in these circumstances. For this reason, it is not possible to give a dosage for amoxicillin for cats as it will depend on each individual clinical case. We have seen that several antibiotics for humans that are commonly used in cats and dogs, one of the most commonly used is amoxicillin. Are they still good? A large and important part of the immune system is located in the gut. Yes and no. Over time, any substance undergoes chemical changes simply due to environmental exposure. So while amoxicillin is not in itself a toxin, if you suspect your kitty has ingested an overdose of her own amoxicillin or possibly any prescribed for you or a family member at home, always notify your veterinarian and/or get in touch with Animal Poison Control to determine what steps may need to be taken. text-align: center; Directions. If your January purge includes decluttering your medicine cabinet, you might find yourself wondering how important those dates stamped on various pharmaceuticals really are. Cats should never be given Amoxicillin prescribed for human use, however convenient it may be for pet owners. Inappropriateness Even a medication that was once prescribed to an individual pet may no longer be appropriate. padding: 10px; If we see that our cat is suffering from an infection, we will want to do anything we can to help ease any suffering. wants you to know why the dates on your pets medications matter. Generally, an antibiotic injection is fast acting, which means it might help your pet feel better soon after she receives the shot. .cliverse-medication-title{ First, fasting prior to bloodwork in veterinary medicine is uncommon, except for certain types of testing. Also, side effects will occur in any cat if too much has been ingested. Get new medication. Some unopened medications can chemically be stable for at least 1 year beyond the expiration. Other infectious agents are not harmed by this medication, such as viruses and fungi. Dr. Chris Vanderhoof is a 2013 graduate of the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine (VMCVM) at Virginia Tech, where he also earned a Masters in Public Health. margin-bottom: 20px; So Ive guessed since there is pus I should give him antibiotic? Antibiotic Amoxicillin is not poisonous to cats, is very safe at prescribed doses, and side effects are uncommon. Typically, vets can prescribe Amoxicillin for cats to treat skin infections, and urinary tract infections. Giving an antibiotic willy nilly or stopping short of the whole course can prove far worse than not using antibiotics at all. In other words, if your kitty is doing well at a prescribed dose, an accidental extra dose or overdose would not cause these effects. What to Do if My Dog has Something Stuck in his Throat? font-size: 14px; There a lot of cat rescues. If not 50mg available, open the 250 mg capsule and divide it into fifths. Specifically, amoxicillin acts against certain Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Cats should never be given Amoxicillin prescribed for human use, however convenient it may be for pet owners. Antibiotics, including amoxicillin, can cause a range of side effects for cats. For example, it is commonly prescribed for treatment of infected wounds and abscesses. (2007). Amoxicillin is an antibiotic called an aminopenicillin. These 7 Signs Will Help You Find Out, Eyelid Agenesis In Cats: Causes, Symptoms, & Treatment. Hi Jennifer, thanks for your question. WebIs Amoxicillin Safe for Cats? Add them to the Cats Food: The Fish-Mox capsules are 250 mg. amoxicillin, recommended dosage one capsule twice per day, in food. Unfortunately its not clear that your cat truly has a UTI with what youve described, or that a UTI if present, is the only issue your cat has. Some medications must be kept within a certain temperature range, while others might be light sensitive. Always, Disposing of drugs, particularly controlled substances, is not always straightforward. According to them, the anibiotics was for possible infection due to the cleaning and the pain medication was for pain from the cleaning. It is primarily used in cats and is commonly prescribed for urinary tract infections (kidneys, bladder, and prostate) and skin infections (mainly post-traumatic wounds and abscesses). Amoxicillin interacts with some other drugs which may be given to cats. This vet did advise us to do Willys 12 hour fast. This commentary allows vets to say what they think and give you, the pet owner, the opportunity to consider another view. You might see it in combination products, such as Clavamox, where the medication is even more effective and long-lasting because it is mixed with a medication called clavulanic acid. An extended treatment with antibiotics can lead to yeast infections, especially if the cats immune system is I have treated her for worms. Essentially the same antibiotics are effective in cats and in humans, however always in different concentrations and dosages. Urinary tract infections can plague some cats. Administering Amoxicillin prescribed for human use to your cat may do serious harm. Amoxicillin has many brand names as well as generic forms. -Urine does not have the strong urea smell or discoloration Required fields are marked *. To ensure that your cat swallows all of the medication, it is best to mix it into a small amount of canned food that you feed by hand, rather than mixing it into a full bowl of food that the cat may not completely eat. padding: 5px 10px; Oral amoxicillin, like many broad-spectrum antibiotics, can alter the normal, beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract, which is often a cause of digestive upset if it occurs. Indiscriminate use of any antibiotic can lead to resistant bacterial populations, which make treating infections more difficult. Amoxicillin is often given to cats with outside access. If your vet mixes the liquid and says it expires in 7 or 14 days then Id honor that. } All medications that we prescribe to our patients come with an expiration date. .medication-table a{ To the rare kitty this might happen with, these effects would occur with even a very small dose. WebThe easiest way to give your cat liquid medication is to mix it in with some canned food. Others, like the Atopica for Cats liquid that we often prescribe, last only a few months. It ended up saving the lives of many soldiers in World War II after Fleming discovered that the mold killed certain bacterial cultures. For two reasons, the former employee explained: 1. This can be dangerous if there are other factors, such as different medications or supplements being used, that make administration inappropriate. The reason is that it will lose its potency over time, and it may even cause your symptoms to worsen. Most oral pills or capsules expire in 1 to 2 years from date of manufacturing. But blood tests only reveal evidence of kidney failure in pets once 72% or more of the kidneys have been lost. Uncommonly, nail trauma can lead to infection of the tissues of the toe. While some respiratory infections are caused by viruses, many are at least compounded by bacterial infections. So your vet will be careful about the dose they give you for your cat. When it comes to veterinary drug expiration dates, it is not so safe to gamble. Speaking with your own vet is usually best to best understand the rationale for certain decisions. Ill try to be objective and impartial with my answers, since its always important to realize that any medical situation can vary quite a lot from patient to patient. Tablet, Liquid Your vet can run a stool sample to help make sure none have been missed. But beyond that, I cannot assist with specific dosing for your cat beyond what is generally found in the article. .medication-table h2{ Is there anything over the counter I can use too. (Good thing I'm not in charge, seeing as I'm occasionally ignorant of basic rules.) Turns out I was right. A large and important part of the immune system is located in the gut. The expiration date is always one year out unless the manufacturer's expiration date precedes it. Any potential risks of those decisions should always typically be discussed. In these cases you will need to go to the veterinarian to stop the effects or even a veterinary hospital in case of emergency. Copyright 2023 Upgrade Your Cat | UpgradeYourCat.com | As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If your vet mixes the liquid and says it expires in 7 or 14 days then Id honor that. As you can see, it is vital we pay attention to the directives of the veterinarian. Epi-pens (epinephrine injections for anaphylaxis), for example. One argument is that during the process of cleaning, bacteria in the mouth may enter the bloodstream which leads to risk of endocardiosis on heart valves, and showering the kidneys and other vital organs with bacteria, so antibiotics should always be used regardless of dental disease severity. An extended treatment with antibiotics can lead to yeast infections, especially if the cats immune system is But this is You might be wondering about the amoxicillin dosage for cats. It is not used as a first line of treatment unless the infection is far gone or the risk for infection (for example after surgery) is very high. There are a wide variety of antibiotics that might be used, and one of the most common is amoxicillin. shes 8 years old and has been healthy until recently (blood in urine). If a medication is past the expiration date determined by the manufacturer, it is best not to use it. Liquid and other mixed prescriptions should be discarded after two weeks. Catheterization, medication and special food are indicated. The price for weekend vet visit is crazy. margin: 0!important; Animal Medical Hospital, Animal Medical Hospital and 24 Hour Urgent Care. Lack of appetite and refusal to eat. Cat sized doses can be bought at pet supply stores. Outdoor feline explorers are often more prone to catching illnesses as they may rummage through trash and dirt. If no date can be found, it is safest to consider a medication expired six months after being dispensed.