Antibiotics are perhaps some of the most widely used drugs in veterinary medicine. They are used to treat both dogs and cats in a variety of different scenarios.
What Can Antibiotics Do for a Dog or Cat?
Antibiotics are used to treat or prevent bacterial infections primarily. However, some antibiotics have additional effects as well. For instance, doxycycline is an antibiotic that is known to have anti-inflammatory properties as well as being able to treat various bacterial infections. Metronidazole is another example of an antibiotic that also has anti-inflammatory properties. As a result, these antibiotics are sometimes used for both purposes.
Do Antibiotics Cause Side Effects in Animals?
Antibiotics, like all medications, have the potential to cause side effects. Each antibiotic has its own profile and the side effects expected with one antibiotic may be totally different than the side effects seen with another. Pet owners administering antibiotics to their pets should be aware of the potential side effects for that particular antibiotic and should notify their veterinarian if side effects do occur. Ask your veterinarian what side effects to watch for if they are not listed with the directions for your pet's medication.
Antibiotics, as a whole, tend to cause disturbances within the gastrointestinal tract. That is because all animals have a population of bacteria that lives within the intestinal tract. When that population is disturbed, gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhea can occur. This is not unusual with most antibiotics. However, it is still best to inform your veterinarian if these symptoms occur in your pet. Many antibiotics can cause a lack of appetite as well.
Can Antibiotics be Misused?
Antibiotics are frequently misused and their misuse can result in serious consequences. Antibiotics should not be used in dogs and cats when there is no clear cut indication that their use is likely to be effective. For instance, administering antibiotics to a cat with signs of urinary tract disease used to be a common treatment. We now know that many times infection is not part of lower urinary tract disease in all cats. In those cats not suffering from infection, antibiotics are unlikely to be helpful and only put the patient at risk for further disease complications. Antibiotics, in these situations, should be reserved for those cats with documented (or at least suspected) urinary tract infection.
Misuse of antibiotics can also lead to much larger problems. Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is one of the more serious and wide-reaching consequences of the overuse and/or abuse of antibiotics. This can affect your individual pet, making it more difficult to treat future infections. It can also affect both the animal and human population in general as antibiotics become less likely to work on various types of bacteria because the bacteria have developed a resistance to them.
Antibiotics play a big role in the treatment of both canine and feline veterinary patients. They should be used when necessary and when their use is in the best interest of the dog or cat. However, using antibiotics irresponsibly can endanger both individual animals and the entire population of both pets and people.
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