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As the name implies, anti-biotics are
drugs used against bacteria. These agents either
kill the bacteria, or inhibit their growth. Many
of the antibiotics used today for our animal patients
are the same or similar to those used in human medicine.
Therefore, your veterinarian in most instances, should
be able to prescribe the necessary antibiotic through
a human pharmacist.
Most antibiotics are taken twice or three
times a day by mouth, either in tablet, capsule, or
liquid form. In some cases where the pet cannot
receive antibiotics by mouth, injections can be substituted.
Not all antibiotics are available in the different forms,
so crushing pills in food or water, may be advised if
the pet cannot be manually pilled.
Check with your veterinarian before crushing
or changing the delivery system of the medication you
are using, to prevent possible inactivation of the medication.
Some of the more commonly used antibiotics include:
Penicillin, Amoxicillin, Clavamox (which is similar
to the human drug Augmentin), Cephalexin (Keflex), Baytril
(which is similar to Ciprofloxacin for humans), Sulfa-Trimethoprim,
Primor, Chloramphenicol, Tetracycline, Doxycycline,
Clindamycin.
This is certainly only a partial list of available
antibiotics commonly used for infectious conditions
for your pet. When deciding which antibiotic to
choose in order to treat an infection, your veterinarian
will decide based upon the location of the infection,
duration of symptoms, and personal preference.
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