QuestionWHICH ANTIBIOTIC AND DOSAGE SHOULD BE USED FOR A 4YR OLD CAT WITH A URINARY TRACT INFECTION
AnswerHi Michelle,
The vet is the best one to determine this. Ideally, a culture should be done to determine which antibiotic the bacteria causing the infection are sensitive to. In most cases, a good antibiotic like Clavamox (basically human Augmentin) or Zeniquin will cover you. Some vets prefer Cefa-Drops (cefadroxil) as a first choice. Occasionally, plain amoxicillin is used.
The dose will depend on how much your kitty weighs. If your cat is around 10 pounds, then these are his likely doses:
+ 1 ml (or 50mg) of Clavamox twice a day. The preparation is somewhat important. The ratio of amoxicillin to clavulanate is 5:1. If you use Augmentin, there are preparations that range from ratios of 2:1 to 7:1, so bear this in mind.
+ 1/2 of a 25 mg tablet of Zeniquin once a day
+ 2 mls (or 100mg) of Cefa-Drops (cefadroxil) twice a day
+ 1 ml (or 50mg) of pink bubble gum flavored amoxicillin (prepared for veterinary use), twice a day. However, amoxi comes in different strengths and preparations, and the ml dosage might be different depending on how the suspension is formulated. The usual dosage for most infections in a 10-lb cat is 50mg twice a day. So if the suspension contains 50 mg/ml, he should receive 1 ml twice a day.
Hope that helps out!
Jessica