Doxycycline is one of the antibiotics the vet may prescribe to treat some of the bacterial diseases that can affect your cat. Like all antibiotics, doxycycline for cats can only be given with a veterinary prescription.
In this Animal Expert article we will explain how this antibiotic works, when it is prescribed and what its contraindications and undesirable side effects are. Also, we’ll see why it’s important not to treat your cat alone. If your veterinarian has prescribed this medicine to your cat and you want to know more about its effects, read on to learn all about doxycycline in cats: dosages, uses and contraindications.
- Cat doxycycline or doxycycline cyclate is a broad-spectrum antibiotic that can act against bacteria.
- Whether Gram-positive or Gram-negative.
- It belongs to the second generation tetracycline group.
- Specifically.
- It is a derivative of oxyitavoicline.
- The effect of doxycycline for cats is bacteriostatic.
- I.
- E.
- It does not kill bacteria.
- But prevents them from reproducing.
- After oral administration.
- It is distributed throughout the body and deposited in active bone tissue and teeth.
- It is mainly eliminated by faeces.
Doxycycline for cats has many applications as it can be used against various diseases and problems such as:
As can be seen, there are many indications of doxycycline in cats, but its prescription should be made by the veterinarian, since the choice of a particular antibiotic depends on the pathogen involved in the different clinical conditions. Therefore, it is essential that the professional decides and that under no circumstances do you take care of the cat yourself.
Doxycycline can be found in several presentations, the most commonly used oral form, both in tablets and solution, and doxycycline for injection for cats. The most suitable dose can only be administered by the veterinarian, as it must take into account the weight of the animal, the presentation chosen and the pathogen against which it is to act.
However, the most common dose is about 10 mg per kg of weight once a day and it is better to take it with food. But, for example, when used to control chlamydia, the dose is distributed in two doses per day for three weeks. And in diseases such as bartonelosis, doxycycline is given for up to one month in daily doses of 5 to 10 mg per kg body weight. Given these variations, it is important to always follow the dose indicated by the veterinarian.
The easiest way to administer doxycycline to a cat is to hide the pill in food. However, if your veterinarian prescribes pills and you don’t find it easy to swallow your cat, you can crush and dissolve them in a liquid to make them more appetizing.
The main problem with doxycycline and tetracyclines in general is that it can affect bone growth and development. This is a reversible situation when treatment is discontinued. It also permanently colors developing teeth when administered to pregnant women in the last 2-3 weeks before birth or puppies in the first weeks of life. However, this effect is not as pronounced with doxycycline as with other tetracyclines.
In addition, photosensitivity reactions, which are abnormal skin reactions to sun exposure, can be observed as an adverse effect. They are more common in kittens than in adult cats.
On the other hand, careful administration is recommended in cats with trouble swallowing or vomiting, since doxycycline is associated with esophageal lesions, so administration with food is recommended. Side effects include vomiting, diarrhea or esophagitis.
This is not an appropriate medicine for pregnant women as it can harm unborn puppies. Doxycycline is also contracted in lactation because a considerable amount of the drug passes into breast milk, reaching kittens, which may suffer side effects such as those mentioned.
Care is needed when interacting with other drugs such as cephalosporins, penicillin, phenytoin, barbiturates or antacids and adjust the dose in cats with liver problems as doxycycline can increase liver enzymes. Of course, cats should not be allergic to tetracyclines.
Cat doxycycline, as an antibiotic, should be used with special caution. Misuse of antibiotics, when administered unnecessarily, in inadequate doses or for an insufficient period of time, causes bacteria to resist them. Currently, there is a serious problem of resistance of bacteria to different antibiotics, leading to the need for increasingly powerful antibiotics, which can even lead to the loss of antibiotics to certain bacteria. Therefore, it is essential that we, as animal carers, are aware of this situation and use antibiotics only with the prescription of a veterinarian and carefully following their instructions.
This article is for informational purposes only, in Animal Expert.com.br we cannot prescribe veterinary treatments or make any kind of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case of any type of condition or discomfort.
If you would like to read articles similar to, we recommend that you visit our Medicines section.