Can I Give My Cat Human Probiotics
While there are no current studies that point to the fact that giving cats a probiotic supplement designed for humans is dangerous, veterinarians still urge pet parents to opt for a product that is specially designed for cats. The microflora in a cat’s small and large intestine are different than for people, so we can’t assume that human probiotics will work in cats, say Deirdre Frey, VMD with Vet at Your Door, a Portland, Maine-based veterinary home-care practice.
What Causes Eye Infections In Cats
Cat eye infections can be divided into two basic categories: infectious conditions and non-infectious conditions.
Some of the most common infectious conditions that can cause eye infections include: bacterial infections, viral infections, feline herpesvirus, feline calicivirus and FVR .
There are also a number of non-infectious conditions that can lead to eye infections in cats such as allergies, hereditary conditions, tumors, eye trauma, foreign body stuck in eye, and autoimmune disease.
What are the symptoms of cat eye infections?
If your cat is suffering from an eye infection you may notice one or more of the following symptoms:
- Whites of your cat’s eye may turn red
- Discharge from the eye
- Winking or squinting
- The third eyelid may be protruding and covering part of the irritated eye
- Rubbing or pawing at one or both eyes
It’s important to note that your cat’s symptoms may affect one or both eyes. Often a cat will only show symptoms in one eye but the infection then spreads to the healthy eye.
Cat colds, or upper respiratory infections frequently cause eye irritation in cats. Symptoms of URIs in cats include typical human cold symptoms such as sneezing or nasal discharge.
If your cat is displaying any of the above symptoms it’s time for a trip to the veterinarian. It is essential to treat eye infections early in order to prevent the infection from spreading to the other eye, becoming more severe, or being spread to other pets in your household or neighborhood.
What Does Amoxicillin Do For Cats
As a bactericidal antibiotic, amoxicillin works to kill bacteria associated with upper respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, and more.
As a bactericidal antibiotic, amoxicillin has the ability to kill certain kinds of bacteria causing infections.
In kitties, it may be used most often for upper respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, skin infections, or infections resulting from a bite wound or injury.
Amoxicillin works by binding directly to certain parts of the cell membrane of susceptible bacteria, inhibiting development of the cell wall and making the bacteria unstable, thus killing them.
Its very important to note that amoxicillin is not effective against viral infections, a common cause of upper respiratory conditions in cats. Therefore, its always important for a vet to decide if use of an antibiotic is warranted.
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Minimizing The Severity Of Upper Respiratory Infections In A Group Of Cats
If you are bringing home a new cat that may be infected, there are a few things you can do to try to slow the spread of upper respiratory infections to the other cats in your home.
First, fully vaccinate all of the cats in the household, preferably before that new kitten or cat comes home.
Keep the new cat in a quarantine area away from the other cats in the household for 10-14 days while she adjusts. This not only lets you watch for signs of disease in the new cat, but also reduces stress levels for everyone as they slowly become acquainted.
Wash items such as food bowls and litter scoops with bleach during this time period. Always be sure to take care of the new cat last and change clothes after your visit. Good preventative care and minimizing stress will go a long way towards keeping everyone healthy.
The vast majority of cats make a rapid, full recovery if diagnosed and treated appropriately early.
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Prescription Antibiotics For Cats And What They Treat
When your cat gets an infection, its likely their treatment will include prescription antibiotics. The type of medication will depend on the type of illness and the overall health of your pet. Because there are so many different causes of an infection, its best to consult your pets veterinarian for a proper diagnosis. They will prescribe the right prescription antibiotics for cats and give you specific dosage instructions.
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Side Effects Of Amoxicillin For Cats
The side effects of amoxicillin are usually mild and infrequent, involving gastrointestinal upset like vomiting and diarrhea.
Side effects of amoxicillin in cats are typically mild and infrequent but when they do occur, most often include digestive upset, like vomiting, diarrhea, and a .
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.
Giving amoxicillin to your kitty around the time of a meal can help to offset these possible effects. If side effects like these continue, its important to ask your vet for further advice.
While discontinuing an antibiotic may relieve the side effects, this will also leave the original bacterial infection untreated. If your kitty is dealing with a very concerning infection, your vet may, for example, recommend starting a probiotic as opposed to discontinuing an antibiotic.
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Severe allergic reactions to amoxicillin are extremely rare but can include rashes, hives, fever, and changes to red and white blood cell counts. To the rare kitty this might happen with, these effects would occur with even a very small dose. In other words, if your kitty is doing well at a prescribed dose, an accidental extra dose or overdose would not cause these effects.
Is It Safe To Give Cats Homemade Antibiotics
The fact that most homemade antibiotics, being natural, have little to no side effects does not mean that they can be given whenever you feel like it. They too, like their synthetic medications, have side effects due to an overdose.
While it is safe to give cats these products, a proper diagnosis needs to be carried out to know exactly what the cat is suffering from and the best solution to the issue. Otherwise, you may be treating a nonexistent problem in your cat.
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When Antibiotics Dont Work
Sometimes, antibiotics will fail to work for several reasons such as inappropriate selection, improper wound care, improper administration , not following dosage or frequency instructions. In some cases, the bacteria are resistant to that particular type of antibiotic, and another type will be necessary.
Amoxicillin For Cats Dosage
Follow the dosing instructions provided by your veterinarian. Most vets call for a dose every 8-12 hours.
Interestingly, the labeled dosage for cats for amoxicillin calls for giving it just once a day. However, this dosage is generally no longer considered in veterinary medicine to be effective for most infections.
Most vets are using it off-label at every 8-12 hours, similar to the labeled dosage for dogs. If your vet decides to use amoxicillin for your cat, he or she will decide on a recommended dosage amount and schedule that is most appropriate depending on the type of infection being addressed.
Amoxicillin typically comes in both a liquid form as an oral suspension as well as tablet form. Your veterinarian may have a preference of which form to use, or may leave the dosage form up to you depending on which will be easier to administer.
If your kitty will take a pill mixed with or hidden in food or a treat, this is often easiest and involves the least amount of struggle. However, if your furry friend is the type that will eat everything in the bowl but the tablet and leave it at the bottom, you may need to consider liquid if you are not adept at administering a pill directly into your cats mouth for her to swallow it.
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How Are Antibiotics Administered To Surgical Patients
When antibiotics are used, they are administered intravenously, immediately prior to the beginning of surgery, every 2 hours during anesthesia, and then discontinued.
Studies have demonstrated that antibiotics are most effective in preventing postoperative infections when adequate blood levels are present throughout surgery. In general, continuing antibiotics beyond the end of surgery has shown little effect in decreasing infection rates, except in selected patients as described above.
Our veterinarians will be happy to answer any questions you may have concerning our Antibiotic Use protocol.
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Dosing Amoxicillin For Cats
What Are The Symptoms Of Cat Eye Infections
When your cat has an eye infection the symptoms can affect just one of your cat’s eyes or both. In many cases cats initially show symptoms just in one eye but the infection soon spreads to the other eye. In cases where your cat’s eye infection is the result of an upper respiratory infection, your cat may also show cold-type symptoms such as nasal discharge and sneezing.
Common signs of eye infections in cats include:
- Whites of the eye may turn red
- Watery eyes
Azithromycin Oral Antibiotic
Topical Corticosteroid Drops & Ointment
L-lysine
Interferon alpha-2b
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What Are Probiotics For Cats
Just like in humans, the majority of a cats immunity resides in its digestive tract so keeping it balanced with an array of good bacteria is a great way to ensure that your feline stays healthy. One possible way to do that is by supplementing your cats diet with probiotics friendly bacteria that help to regulate digestive and overall health. These live microorganisms are believed to help treat or prevent a variety of illnesses and diseases, especially those related to the gastrointestinal system.
But how do you know if you should give your cat probiotics? What kind of probiotics should you buy for your cat and how often should you administer them? petMD reached out to an array of experts who have studied the topic to find out more about probiotics for cats.
If Your Cat Is Sick You May Be Told That You Should Give Her An Injectable Antibiotic But Is It Safe Heres What You Need To Know
Antibiotics are commonly prescribed to pets when they arent feeling well. But while you might immediately think of antibiotics that come in the form of pills or liquids, there is another option to be aware of.
If your cat is in need of antibiotics to combat an illness, your veterinarian might suggest an injectable antibiotic, such as Convenia. But before you agree to this treatment option, consider the pros and cons, some of which are outlined below. It turns out that, while antibiotic injections might certainly be beneficial, there are several reasons why some experts advocate against using them.
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Types Of Cat Probiotics
Cat probiotics come in a variety of formspowders, pills, and even infused inside of treats. In order to get the largest benefit out of a probiotic supplement, Mahaney recommends opting for the highest CFU that you can find. Diversity is also important. We want to make sure that we have a diverse array of probioticsnot just one type of bacteria, Mahaney adds.
The strains that cats tend to do best with are those of the Bifidobacterium and Enterococcus families. Bifidobacterium tends to live in the small intestine, whereas Enterococcus generally resides in the colon . So each strain could have a different function when it comes to promoting health. Bifidobacterium is more involved with digestion and the Enterococcus aids with the formation of normal feces and helping to maintain colonic health. Mahaney says you really cant go wrong with purchasing a product with additional bacteria strains but stresses that its important to opt for a supplement that contains the two bacteria mentioned above.
Make sure there are at least two different types in there because they do jobs in different locations, he notes. But ideally there could be five types of Enterococcus or five different types of Bifidobacterium in there, Mahaney adds.
Can I Use Neosporin On My Cat
Many human medications are toxic or otherwise dangerous for pets. This is especially true for cats since their compact size means that even the tiniest amounts of a dangerous substance can be life-threatening.
Neosporin is a topical antibiotic ointment that works very well on humans but is not recommended for cats. There have been reports of cats having severe anaphylactic reactions to the antibiotic ingredients in Neosporin’s ophthalmic preparations which include neomycin and polymyxin B.
Only use treatments prescribed by your veterinarian to treat eye infections in your pet.
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Can You Comfort Your Cat Without Going To The Vet
If your kitty is lethargic, not eating or breathing with its mouth open, she really does need to be seen immediately by a veterinarian. However, if she is eating and stays active, a little supportive care may help her to feel much better.
Feeding canned cat food is not only healthy, but it is a little less scratchy on the throat going down. Also, if kitty is quite congested, warming the food slightly or adding warm water as a gravy will make it smell more appealing and help entice your cat to eat.
Bringing the cat into the bathroom while you take a warm shower can also help loosen up some of the congestionlike a giant, humid steam bathand help to make kitty more comfortable.
As far as any over-the-counter drops or supplements are concerned, these are generally not helpful or necessary, unless specifically recommended by your veterinarian for a specific case/reason. Most upper respiratory infections run their course in about 10-14 days.
However, some kitties do suffer from chronic infections and are then prone to periodic flare-ups or ongoing congestion. These are the exception rather than the rule.
We consider upper respiratory infections in cats to be very contagious, and it is not uncommon for a normal-looking kitten to be adopted from a shelter, only to start sneezing within a few days, followed shortly by all of the other cats in the house.
What About Treating Your Cat With Alternative Medicine
Take your cat to the veterinarian immediately any time he appears ill or injured. However, there are holistic approaches that can be effective in keeping your cat healthy in the first place, according to Dr. Shawn Messonnier, author of the Natural Health Bible for Dogs & Cats and Nutritional Supplements for the Veterinary Practice.
While we do not advocate using natural alternatives over traditional medications, learning more about supporting your cats immune system can help devise a lifelong healthy strategy. Amoxicillin for cats has many benefits, some side effects and should always be taken as directed by a professional vet. Communicating closely with your veterinarian is the best way to ensure your cats amoxicillin treatment is doing the trick to ensure his path to health and well-being.
Thumbnail: Photography by Elenica / Shutterstock.
This piece was originally published in 2017.
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What Is A Natural Antibiotic
So what is a natural antibiotic? Since the term natural refers to something that is derived from nature and without artificial additives, a natural antibiotic is a substance that contains properties with a natural antiseptic. Since there was once a time before modern medicine existed, people became accustomed to substances that seemed to fight infection on their own.
Whether its an herb with antibacterial properties or a combination of natural ingredients that fight off free radicals the earth has a lot to offer when it comes to fighting the bad stuff naturally! So why would a cat owner want to use natural antibiotics versus prescribed antibiotics? Lets dive into it!
Antibiotics: 5 Things Cat Owners Should Know
Some cat owners turn to antibiotics as the treatment of choice to treat a variety of problems. After all, its a scary world out there with all those superbugs, antibiotic resistance issues and drug reactions.
Treating infections is a perennially confounding and controversial topic in both human and animal medicine.
Lets review the key concerns antibiotics pose to both human and animal health.
Why?
Because antibiotics are NOT just like any other drugs.
After all, fighting infections from foreign invaders is fundamental to our ability to stave off the most obvious threats to both human and animal health. Historically high infectious disease death rates pre-antibiotics should be enough to impress anyone on that score.
Unfortunately, the preponderance of scientific evidence demonstrates that the overuse and misuse of antibiotics in both human and animal medicine has led to the emerging risk of antibiotic resistance. In other words, because of their increased exposure to these important drugs in inappropriate ways, bacteria have become extra-adept at coming up with ways to evade their effects.
Heres my list detailing the top five things cat owners really need to know about antibiotics if were to do right by both the humans and animals who need them:
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