Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Can Cats Take Human Antibiotics

The Problems With Human Antibiotics

Human Medications That Are Toxic To Domestic Cats

According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, there are four guidelines for using antibiotics. First, its imperative to make the correct diagnosis to rule out other issues and choose the best treatment. Bear in mind that antibiotics are not effective against viruses, which may have similar symptoms.

Second, the correct dosage is essential to kill the pathogen or disease-causing agent. Too little wont help your cat get better. Too much can have severe consequences, according to the Pet Poison Helpline. Its not just a matter of the amount. Its also considering other factors, such as your cats age, life stage, and other meds that you give your pet. Vets are legally bound to prescribe responsibly following a cascade of when certain medications can be used. They must first prescribe a formulation that is tested and approved for the treatment of that particular condition in that particular species.

Third, your veterinarian must decide the course of the treatment, balancing getting rid of the bacteria with your cats response to the potential side effects. Finally, its vital that you provide the appropriate supportive care. Some pets experience vomiting or GI distress when taking antibiotics. That makes ensuring that your kitty has plenty of water available a crucial part of the recovery plan.

Signs of an adverse reaction to any antibiotic include:

  • Facial swelling

How Do I Give Human Antibiotics To My Cat

The only time you should give an antibiotic to your cat is following a veterinarians prescription. The veterinarian will let you know the exact treatment including dosage, frequency of administration, treatment duration, and other indications, like whether the medication should be given after meals or with water.

There are several key rules one must follow when providing medication to their animals. Disobeying these rules can have dire consequences so its best to acquaint yourself with them to ensure your kitty recovers from their illness fast and stays healthy. Here are some basic ground rules to know.

How Long Does Amoxicillin Take To Work In Cats

For susceptible bacterial infections, you will typically see noticeable improvement within 2-3 days of use. Full resolution for an infection depends a lot on the location and severity. This is why its always important to follow the prescribed directions and to finish out all of an antibiotic even if your kitty is looking much better.

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What Should You Do If You Think Your Cat Has Been Poisoned

The sooner veterinary treatment is received, the better your cats chances of survival.

  • Contact your vet for advice immediately make sure you know when, where and how the poisoning occurred. If appropriate take the packaging or substance with you to the vet.
  • Remove your cat from the source of the poison and isolate from other animals.
  • If the poison is on the coat or paws, try to prevent the cat from grooming itself further.
  • Do not try to make the cat vomit, unless you are instructed to do so by your vet.

Amoxicillin For Cats Overdose

Antibiotics for Cats

If your cat has ingested too much amoxicillin, its natural to be panicked. Take them to the vet immediately. Overdosing on antibiotics can lead to mild or severe effects. You could see gastrointestinal adverse effects such as vomiting or bloody diarrhea. Other overall signs include skin lesions, liver failure, tremors, and seizures.

So, act quickly to save your cat.

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Amoxicillin For Cats: Dosages Side Effects And More

For many longtime cat guardians, amoxicillin for cats may not be a mystery. It is an antibiotic drug, in the penicillin family, used to prohibit the growth of bacteria. According to Tufts University and Medical News Today, it treats everything from bronchitis to Lyme disease to urinary tract infections in people. Amoxicillin for cats is used frequently on kitties with skin infections, urinary tract infections and ear infections.

When I asked my veterinarian, Shinnecock Animal Hospitals Dr. Kelly Tierney , what she thought about the drug, she paused. I learned the medications that became my go-to drugs from my mentor. He always used an antibiotic in conjunction with clavulanic acid for ailments like urinary tract infections and gastrointestinal infections. So, Id say newer vets are probably going with clavamox over amoxicillin, but its really your veterinarians call. Depending on your vets preference, your cat may currently be on it. Heres the scoop about amoxicillin for cats.

What Human Antibiotics Are Safe For Cats

While some antibiotics prescribed to your cat by the vet might seem to be the same ones your doctor prescribed you in the past, you should be aware that antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals used in veterinary medicine are prepared with specific dosages and components to make them safe for cats. Some human antibiotics are not safe for your pets, likewise, there are veterinary-specific antibiotics that are not used in human medicine.

Image Credit: Veera, Shutterstock

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Is Amoxicillin Poisonous To Cats

Amoxicillin is not poisonous to cats, is very safe at prescribed doses, and side effects are uncommon.

However, if a cat were to get into and consume an amount of amoxicillin much higher than a typically prescribed dosage, like say, a 500mg human tablet, severe digestive upset may occur. Neurologic changes, like an inability to walk normally have been reported in dogs, as well as elevated heart rate and breathing changes.

Many medications can cause significant negative health effects if very high doses inappropriate for the patient are ingested. 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.

Is Amoxicillin Safe For Cats

How to Give Antibiotics to Nursing Cats : Cat Care & Behavior

When used correctly under veterinary guidance, amoxicillin is a safe drug for use in cats. But, you will need to test your cat to be sure of a bacterial infection and be wary of the possibility of a penicillin allergy. It is always better to be safe than sorry when dealing with medication for your pets.

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Can You Give A Dog Azo For A Uti

AZO is a well-known over-the-counter medication for treating UTIs in humans.

However, AZO is extremely dangerous for pups, so a vet will urge you to never give your dog AZO for a UTI.

Since this over-the-counter medication is usually formulated with an active ingredient known as phenazopyridine, the drug could severely damage your pups red blood cells, liver, and muscles. It is simply not worth the many harmful side effects.

If you already gave your dog AZO, you should visit a vet as soon as possible because pups who consume this over-the-counter medication will probably need immediate treatment.

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Human Antibiotics That Can Be Used In Cats

Vets typically dont recommend the use of human antibiotics in cats,as some of these may be toxic. On the other hand, even if theantibiotics are suitable for use in felines, human antibiotics containa high amount of active ingredients and the cat should get a fourth orfifth of that certain amount, as the dosage is prescribed per bodyweight. A lot of pet owners fail to give the right dose, and this canlead to an overdose.

The human antibiotics that are suitable for use in felines include:

  • Amoxicillin, used to fight bacterial infections the dosage should be 5 mg per pound of body weight per day
  • Ampicillin, employed for bacterial infections the cat requires 10 mg per pound every 6 hours
  • Tetracycline, effective against bacterial infections the dose is 10 mg per pound every 8 hours

Always consult your vet for dosage prior to administeringantibiotics. The dosage may depend on the cats weight, medicalcondition, overall health and stamina and whether the pet is underanother type of medication that can affect the antibiotics treatment.The vet needs to examine the cat and weigh him to prescribe thesuitable dose and type of antibiotics.

When your cat needs antibiotic treatment, keep the drugs in a safeplace and administer the right dosage when needed. You can mix it withthe cats food or water. Never interrupt the treatment, even if younotice that the infection symptoms are gone.

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This Is Why Taking Fish Medicine Is Truly A Bad Idea

Those who misuse aquatic antibiotics are playing a dangerous game with their health, doctors and veterinarians say

Earlier this month, a from author Rachel Sharp alerted the Internet to a disturbing trend: Some people were resorting to taking fish antibiotics to cure their ailments. Yes, fish antibiotics. Sharps Tweet, which quickly went viral, included a screenshot of several thinly veiled Amazon reviews left by humans who were clearly using the aquatic pet medicine Moxifish on themselves.

Naturally, the Internet was appalled. But few stopped to ask: whats actually so wrong with taking fish antibiotics?

How bad is American healthcare?Read the reviews for aquarium antibiotics and decide for yourself.

Rachel Sharp

Its not quite as crazy as it sounds. Fish are given many of the same antibiotics as humansamoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, penicillin and moresometimes even in the same doses. These pills, which are intended to be dissolved in fish tanks and be absorbed through fishes’ skin, can also look extremely similar to the human versions. And while a trip to the doctor can rack up hundreds of dollars for someone who doesn’t have insurance, a bottle of 30 500mg capsules of Moxifish costs just $29.95 from the supplier, Fishceuticals.

But there are a few key reasons why taking your fishs drugs is a very bad, no good idea. Lets start at the top.

But even if fish meds were labeled as human-grade medicines, using them to self-medicate would still be a bad idea.

What Is Amoxicillin For Cats

Amoxicillin For Cats

Theres nothing worse than when our pets are sick. Unlike humans, they cant tell us how they feel, and that in itself can be hard to handle.

If your cat has an infection, your vet will probably have prescribed you antibiotics.

Antibiotics are one of the greatest inventions in human history. They are the definitive drug of modern medicine.

Almost everyone reading this will have been on antibiotics at some point. And theres a good chance your pets have too.

Amoxicillin is in the Penicillin family of bactericidal drugs.

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Human Antibiotics That Are Safe For Dogs

When it comes to giving your dog antibiotics, just because you have some leftover antibiotics in your medicine cabinet doesnt mean that you should be giving them to your dog.

First of all, antibiotics are a bit different than other medications in that you should always use up the entire package of antibiotics, rather than stop taking them once you feel better. So you really shouldnt ever have any leftover antibiotics lying around anyway. But if you do happen to have some human antibiotics at home, and its well past the expiration date marked on the bottle, please read about the safety of taking expired medications before you use them for yourself or your dog!

That said, the following antibiotics are safe for both humans and dogs:

  • Amoxicillin
  • Penicillin
  • Tetracycline

As a reminder, be sure to consult your veterinarian before you give your dog any antibiotics that were originally prescribed to you. For starters, you will need to get the correct dosage based on your dogs weight and breed. Chances are, the antibiotics that were prescribed to you will be too strong for your dog and would cause him harm if taken in the dose that your doctor originally prescribed for you.

Side Effects Of Amoxicillin For Cats

In general, amoxicillin is an antibiotic which will have minimal adverse side effects when administered carefully within the above parameters. However, it is possible some digestive disturbances might arise such as diarrhea and vomiting or even appetite loss. If we do see any adverse side effects from amoxicillin for cats, we need to inform the vet. They may need to suspend treatment or treat any secondary problems. Symptoms usually end when administration does.

Additionally, hypersensitivity may occur in some cats. This will lead to skin rashes , fever and, in severe cases, anaphylactic shock. In these cases you will need to go to the veterinarian to stop the effects or even a veterinary hospital in case of emergency.

Also, side effects will occur in any cat if too much has been ingested. Overdose of amoxicillin can lead to poisoning which results in liver and kidney failure in cats. It can also cause acute respiratory disorder and even cardiac arrest. In these rare cases, it is vital they are taken to an emergency veterinary hospital. As you can see, it is vital we pay attention to the directives of the veterinarian. It is not appropriate to medicate the cat with amoxicillin of our own volition.

This article is purely informative. AnimalWised does not have the authority to prescribe any veterinary treatment or create a diagnosis. We invite you to take your pet to the veterinarian if they are suffering from any condition or pain.

Read Also: Can You Heal A Uti Without Antibiotics

What Signs Might Warn Me That My Cat May Have Been Poisoned

The clinical signs are very variable and will depending on the particular poison concerned.

Some of the most common signs include:

  • Gastrointestinal signs
  • Neurological signs
  • Respiratory signs
  • Skin signs
  • Liver failure
  • Kidney failure .

Some poisons act on more than one body system, and so can produce any combination of the above signs.

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Using Dog Flea Treatment Products On Cats

Never use dog products on cats

While flea and tick treatments work well for dogs, the Pyrethrin in dog powder can be highly toxic and potentially fatal for cats. Poisoning can arise when cats are accidentally treated with such dog flea products or if they groom themselves or other animals treated with the product.

Cats may salivate a great deal, be thirsty and have a high temperature and tremors or convulsions urgent veterinary advice is essential.

Always read treatment labels carefully, as those that contain Pyrethrins or Pyrethroids , should be avoided at all costs.

Can Cats Take Human Antibiotics Everything You Need To Know

No one likes to see their beloved cat in pain suffering from a pesky infection. How convenient would it be to be able to offer your sick cat your leftover antibiotics after your last illness? If you have some leftover amoxicillin in your cupboard, should you give it to your cat if you suspect they have an infection? The answer is no.

Some antibiotic medications for cats often have the same basic composition as those made for humans however, the rest of the compounds could be different.

There are a handful of human antibiotics that can be safely administered to cats, but they must be given under the advice of your vet.

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Potential Side Effects Of Amoxicillin For Cats

Antibiotics, including amoxicillin, can cause a range of side effects for cats. Since every cat is an individual, each cat will respond differently to amoxicillin. PetCareRX mentions the following as the most prevalent side effects to antibiotics: rashes, fever, kidney or liver damage, diarrhea and vomiting.

Also, antibiotics can be particularly difficult on the digestive system, so confirm if your cat should take amoxicillin with or without food.

In addition, Vetinfo indicates that your cat could have dangerous complications if amoxicillin is taken while other antibiotics are in his system. And some cats are allergic to it. Monitor your cat closely while taking any medications, and alert your vet to anything out of the ordinary health or behavior wise.

Not So Sure Your Veterinarian Is On Board With These By

Cats and Human Medications

Get a second opinion. Its never OK to live with uncertainty on this crucial issue. And just in case youre the kind that likes to be more self-reliant than most, consider getting even better educated on the subject.

For more detailed reading on whats right and not right in the world of antibiotics in animal health, check out The Bella Moss Foundation. This UK group is dedicated to the responsible use of antibiotics worldwide and its comprehensive website always offers the most practical and up-to-date information on the subject.

Now, Im not saying Im perfect and that Ive never erred on any of these five key points Ive listed above. In fact, I once recall a six-week course of antibiotics for my sons never-cultured sinus infection .

Of course, were all guilty of wanting to go for what seems to be the most expedient course. Nonetheless, now that you know how its supposed to be done, how will YOU be approaching these drugs differently?

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