Common antibiotics for dogs and cats

Antibiotics that are commonly prescribed to pets

Like humans, dogs and cats can develop bacterial infections that require a treatment program that includes antibiotics. Antibacterial medications are essential to treat this infection because they destroy the infected organism while leaving your pet’s healthy cells intact.

Some antibiotics work by preventing the bacteria from building cell walls, thus stopping their ability to multiply, while others work by starving the bacteria to prevent the infected organism from being able to convert glucose into energy. Below are the most common antibiotics used in veterinary medicine to treat infections in dogs and cats and their uses.

Best antibiotic for dogs

The five most commonly prescribed antibiotics for dogs include:

Amoxicillin/clavulanate: This antibiotic is related to penicillin and is used to treat a wide variety of bacterial infections, including skin infections, respiratory infections, gastrointestinal infections, and urogenital infections.

gentamicin: Gentamicin is prescribed for the treatment of dogs with eye infections, ear infections, and pneumonia. This medication is also prescribed as an anti-inflammatory drug to help reduce redness and swelling.

chloramphenicol: Chloramphenicol is an antibiotic that has a pH level that is safe enough to pass completely through a dog’s body. This makes it the best choice for treating a dog with a bacterial infection in its organs.

sulfamethoxol: Sulfamethoxol is used to treat urinary tract infections in dogs. This antibiotic can be hard on a dog’s digestive system and often causes side effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and loss of appetite. While your dog is on sulfamethoxol, make sure he drinks plenty of water to stay hydrated.

tetracycline: Tetracycline can treat a variety of bacterial infections because it inhibits the synthesis of proteins. Tetracycline is used whenever another antibiotic proves ineffective because it has the ability to penetrate the protective barriers that bacteria use to protect themselves.

Top 5 antibiotics for cats

The five most commonly prescribed antibiotics for cats include:

amoxicillin: Veterinarians prescribe amoxicillin to treat bacterial infections in cats. It is highly effective against everything from skin infections to gastrointestinal infections.

cephalexin: Cephalexin is another broad spectrum antibiotic commonly used in cats because it usually produces few side effects. It is used to treat urinary tract infections, bacterial skin and soft tissue infections, bone infections, and respiratory infections.

Clindamycin—This antibiotic is used to treat toxoplasmosis, but it’s also the best choice for treating bacterial infections of a cat’s skin, mouth, or bones. It is used to treat cats because it is well tolerated and relatively fast acting.

enrofloxacin: Enrofloxacin is a fluoroquinolone antibiotic. It is prescribed for the treatment of infections of the urinary tract, skin, prostate, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, and liver.

metronidazole: Metronidazole is an antibiotic used to treat gum disease in cats, although it is also effective against gastrointestinal infections.

Any time your dog or cat develops an infection, take them to the vet for a checkup. An infection is not something you can treat yourself with over-the-counter antibiotics or antibiotics purchased from an unapproved online compounding pharmacy. Infections must be treated with specific doses and duration of treatment.