It’s quite common for felines to hide any form of discomfort or pain they’re experiencing. Even so, noticeable signs do come up. You just have to be attentive enough. To realize your cat is suffering from fever, diarrhea, or some bacterial infection. So at such times, penicillin works best. But how much penicillin to give a cat is something you should know?
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What You Need to Understand Before Reading On
If you think cats aren’t intelligent, think again. Cats know very well how to hide the pain. But if their health condition gets serious, it’s important to recognize those symptoms. There are many common causes of poor health in a cat. Some of them include viral fever or a fungus or bacterial infection. This is why administering penicillin is advisable.
Yet the question of how much penicillin to give a cat is of utmost importance. Now you should know that antibiotics aren’t the same in comparison to traditional medication. Science proves that under or over-dosing antibiotics can result in antibiotic resistance. And this happens in both animals and humans.
To state it simply, frequent antibiotic exposure makes the bacteria even stronger. So it becomes more resistant to the opposing effects of the antibiotic. This explains why vets are extra careful when it comes to prescribing antibiotics.
Now it’s time to dive deeper and get to the bottom of the topic. It’s better to know everything about this branch of antibiotic derived from a fungus.
Penicillin: What Is It And How Does It Affect The Health Of Your Cat?
Penicillin falls in the category of general antibiotics. The drug has the capacity to prevent the development of bacteria. So it’s able to keep your cat from getting affected by fungus and viruses.
However, penicillin isn’t a type of drug. Vets recommend using it with a particular remedy. When combined, the treatment method proves to be effective. Against a specific bacterial or fungal infection.
Penicillin’s reaction profile is low and action capacity is broad-range. So the drug has the ability to relieve many conditions in felines. Such as diseases pertaining to the respiratory system, urinary tract, ear, delicate tissue, and more.
The medication is administered through injection. You inject it into the cat’s muscles directly or below the skin. But this is done in only some cases. Otherwise, penicillin is injected into the vein.
Needless to say, it creates a safe barrier against bacteria. And also prevents the danger from multiplying.
Penicillin: When To Use It?
The dosage amount isn’t a factor to be taken into serious consideration. Especially when you know something is wrong with your pet. The utilization of penicillin is reserved for respiratory diseases, skin diseases, ear diseases, and contamination of delicate tissue.
Only on rare occasions does a vet not be able to diagnose the type of contamination while waiting for the test results. Also, keep in mind that penicillin should not be given to pregnant felines. And if you think she requires it, please have a word with your vet about it first.
Different Types Of The Drug For Cats
The broad range of penicillin that can be used on cats are as follows:
- Normal Penicillin
This is the most common one. That is prescribed for streptococci throat, meningitis, and oral contamination.
- Aminopenicillin
It’s considered to be very powerful for destroying gram-negative germs or microbes.
- Penicillinase
Now, this kind of penicillin is safe. It’s highly recommended for managing slender spectrums like staph diseases.
- Broadened-Range Penicillin
It’s very much like aminopenicillin, but with an extensive reach.
All four types of penicillin mentioned above are suitable and safe for treating contamination in cats.
Even amoxicillin, which is a form of aminopenicillin, is a very common choice. And that’s because it supports natural acid. What this does is eliminate the need to take the cat to your vet for shots every single day. It can be orally administered at home.
How Much Penicillin to Give a Cat?
It’s time to finally address the most important question on your mind. What matters here are factors like age, weight, and health condition. Along with the kind of infection and its severity.
For instance, your feline weighs around 8 pounds. In that case, one-third or half a tablet of penicillin is advisable. Generally speaking, felines that weigh above 5 pounds require half a tablet.
But the best thing would be to talk to your vet about the amount of penicillin you should give your cat for avoiding potential risks.
Possible Side Effects
No matter the type of antibiotic, the drug might give rise to unpredictable side effects. In both cats and dogs!
Look out for the following warning signs:
- Blood transfusion.
- Vomiting.
- Liver and kidney failure.
- Deafness, in the case of amikacin or gentamicin.
- Gastrointestinal injury
How To Administer It Appropriately?
1. Use It Only When Directed By The Vet
Only when the doctor recommends the dosage should you use penicillin. The same applies to stop the medication, listen to your vet.
It’s also not advisable to administer leftover penicillin. Not unless the doctor tells you to do so. And just keep an eye out for potential allergic reactions. And the overall health status of your precious pet.
2. Give The Right Type Of Penicillin
Diseases caused as a result of bacterial infections demand the right kind of penicillin. So how do you find out which type is the most suitable? Well, to be honest, it’s best if your vet answers that question.
The doctor checks your cat’s open wound, urinary tract, skin, trachea, and more. And then determines the form of bacteria. Based on the infection, he/she prescribes the most appropriate kind of penicillin to destroy the bacteria. Such a test is known as Culture and Sensitivity. The tests are performed when felines get sick due to the development of bacterial infections.
Now here’s something you might want to know. 95 percent of infections of the urinary tract is not the outcome of bacteria formation. Despite that, penicillin is administered unnecessarily. So when you choose Culture & Sensitivity, you know the correct way of using penicillin.
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Conclusion
You can use penicillin on anyone and for almost anything. But you want to be a responsible and caring pet parent, right? So it’s best to seek professional medical assistance and advice. Only when a vet recommends giving this type of drug to your cat should you go ahead with it.
And as for how much to give, if your cat weighs more than 5 pounds, half a tablet does the job. Otherwise, one-third of the size is normally prescribed.
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Sources:
1. http://godkitten.com/how-much-penicillin-to-give-a-cat/
2. https://cat-lovers.net/blogs/healthy-cats-guide/the-secrets-of-how-much-penicillin-to-give-a-cat
3. https://www.petmd.com/pet-medication/penicillin
