Medical Information Cards N°15. The veterinarian prescribed antibiotic treatment to my pet

Antibiotic treatment effectively combats bacterial infection or avoids bacterial superinfection.

Just as in humans, an unreasonable use of antibiotics can cause the appearance of resistance phenomena and, consequently, inefficiency of these molecules during further processing.

Some rules must be respected to avoid these disadvantages:

ALWAYS FOLLOW THE PRESCRIPTION OF YOUR VETERINARY

Carefully respect the duration of treatment
Even if the symptoms of your animal disappear very quickly after the antibiotic treatment is in place, it is essential to administer the medication properly for the duration recommended by your veterinarian.
In fact, treatment too short will not allow the destruction of all the bacteria responsible for the disease. The remaining bacteria will not only cause a relapse soon after discontinuation of therapy but also "learn how to resist" this antibiotic.

Be sure to observe the rate of administration of the antibiotic
Each antibiotic acts for a well-defined duration and at a well-defined dose. You should not reduce the dosage yourself: in this case, the destruction of the bacteria will not be complete and, again, a relapse will occur very quickly, as will resistance to treatment.
If a dose of antibiotic is forgotten, since it only works for a certain period of time, there is no point in doubling the dosage at the time of the next administration. Could cause an overdose (for example, if you forget to administer the morning tablet for an antibiotic to be given every 12 hours, resume treatment at the usual doses at night)
Do not hesitate to ask your veterinarian for advice in case of doubt.

Respect the boards of directors
Some antibiotics can be taken indifferently during or outside meals. But for others, it is necessary to respect the indications of the notice. Indeed, some medicines that need to be taken on an empty stomach lose their effectiveness if they are absorbed during a meal. Conversely, certain products must be taken during meals to reduce the side effects, for example digestive they can cause.

NEVER GIVE YOUR ANIMAL ANTIBIOTICS WITHOUT MEDICAL ADVICE

Antibiotics should be well known before starting treatment:

Human specialties can be used in pets but dosages are sometimes very different from those used in humans. A lack of efficacy of treatment or worse severe overdoses may then occur.


Some drugs interact with each other:
Sometimes two antibiotics or one antibiotic and another drug will have antagonistic action (one drug dramatically reduces the effect of the second). The action of the antibiotic will then be markedly reduced by the other molecule and the treatment may become ineffective. On the contrary, some molecules will increase the effectiveness of the antibiotic and an overdose may then occur.

Always be sure to tell your veterinarian about the medications your pet already receives so that it can prescribe antibiotic treatment compatible with these drugs.

Some antibiotics, very well tolerated by most animal species, are toxic in other species. This is the case, for example, with oral penicillins which cause severe or even fatal digestive intolerances in the rabbit.

DO NOT RESUME WITHOUT VETERINARY ADVICE A PREVIOUSLY PRESCRIBED ANTIBIOTIC TREATMENT

Different bacteria can cause identical symptoms:
An old treatment that allowed the cure of the animal will not necessarily be effective in another case, even if the disease seems perfectly identical to the previous one.

In certain chronic diseases, withdrawals should be made by
Your veterinarian to detect the bacteria responsible for the disorders and the antibiotics capable of eliminating it (carrying out an antibiogram).

Beginning antibiotic treatment prior to veterinary consultation and sampling may distort the results and make the diagnosis much more difficult.

An antibiotic liquid or ointment may lose its effectiveness when it is already started and bacteria may even have contaminated the mouthpiece after a while. It is better to throw away any remaining vial or tube.

Antibiotic treatment is not trivial. For all the reasons cited above, it is not advisable to put it in place without medical advice. The issuance of this type of medicine also requires a prescription. Always be sure to tell your veterinarian exactly what medication your pet is receiving so that he can prescribe an antibiotic treatment compatible with these drugs.