Content
- Antibiotics, what they are and how they work
- When should your puppy be given antibiotics
- How to avoid the side effects of antibiotics
- Do not medicate your dog without a veterinary prescription
Answering this question and determining whether antibiotics are good or bad for our dog is quite difficult, since the action of an antibiotic depends on several factors.
In this article by Animal Expert we explain to you how antibiotics work, in which cases they are needed and how to prevent their side effects. Only after that will you be able to answer the question if can give antibiotics to dog?
Antibiotics, what they are and how they work
Antibiotics are chemotherapeutic drugs, which means that they alone perform a therapy only with chemical means.
This medication is used to prevent and treat bacterial diseases, having no effect on viral diseases. Antibiotics work by either preventing the growth of the bacteria or eliminating it, depending on the nature of each antibiotic substance.
There are two types of antibiotics:
- antibiotics selective, that is, they only act against certain bacteria.
- antibiotics from broad spectrum, which act against a very diverse number of bacteria.
Sometimes broad-spectrum antibiotics are combined with other substances that are not antibiotics but are designed to increase the effect of the drug. The best known example used in humans and dogs is the Amoxicillin accompanied by Clavulanic Acid, which enhances the antibiotic action.
When should your puppy be given antibiotics
The veterinarian will prescribe antibiotics to your pet after any type of surgical intervention, to prevent skin lesions from becoming infected and to prevent any type of systemic infection that could affect the whole organism.
In the presence of tick bites or other parasites, to prevent the skin lesion get infected. They can also be prescribed when your dog is sick, usually with fever, and the veterinarian diagnoses a disease caused by bacteria.
How to avoid the side effects of antibiotics
Leaving aside the idea that any drug that hasn't been taken before can trigger an allergic reaction, antibiotics in general pose a number of problems.
As we explained at the beginning, there are broad-spectrum antibiotics against a large number of bacteria, both good and bad. This means that the dog's gut flora, which is healthy and necessary to maintain your defenses and balance, can be damaged.
Antibiotic treatments harm the body's own flora and this results in a general malaise, diarrhea, nausea, loss of appetite and even vomiting. To avoid this, talk to your veterinarian for a recommendation. probiotics for dogs. These products contain bacteria naturally present in the dog's intestinal flora and prevent the destruction of its defenses.
Do not medicate your dog without a veterinary prescription
Some antibiotics that are used in people can also be used in puppies, but you should never give them without having been prescribed by the veterinarian, since its dose should match your weight. Also, depending on the medication, it can damage your kidneys or other organs in your body.
If the dog is sick, with various symptoms, including a high fever, he should go to the veterinarian to make a diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate medication. The veterinarian will indicate the recommended dose and frequency.
Self-medicating your dog is risky behavior that can harm your pet's health.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis.We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.