Leftover Human Antibiotics or Online Non-Prescription Antibiotics Safe for Dogs?

With the way the economy is, people are trying to cut corners as much as they can, and at times, pets are the first to suffer from these hard financial times. For some reason, Rover always appears to get sick at the wrong time, right when finances are really tight... But what can be done to avoid those expensive vet visits? A vet visit nowadays costs only an average of 75$ only for the physical exam, add on top of that expensive medications and dog owners can be easily spending close to $200! Not to mention, cultures, blood work, and x-rays which are often recommended.

Truth is, many dog owners are struggling to treat their pets, and more and more, are trying to treat their pets at home. Good, old, home remedies for pets, at times can be used, but unfortunately there are times when these may not work, and antibiotics may be ultimately be the only way to fight an infection. So what to do in this case? Some owners may feel tempted to use some left-over human antibiotics forgotten in the medicine cabinet, while others prefer to purchase them online without a prescription. But is this something safe to do? We will evaluate this carefully.

Many owners feel tempted to use those human left-over antibiotics, but are they safe to use? Truth is, there are many considerations to keep in mind. Following are some reasons why dog owners should avoid self-medicating their dogs using left over antibiotics.

• Problems with Dosages

Dogs do not weigh as humans, and therefore appropriate dosages may be hard to predict. Over-dosing and under-dosing are both serious problems that could lead to devastating effects. Dogs and humans weight differently and there are differences in medication strength and dosages. Ever wondered why veterinarians weigh dogs every time they come to the clinic? This most likely has more to do with medication dosages than assessing if a dog is obese or malnourished. Indeed, after the vet tech weighs a dog he or she notes it in the chart, and once the vet diagnoses the dog with a condition, dosages are conveniently based on the weight recorded.

• Problems with Relapses

Another potential problem in medicating a dog with left over antibiotics is the amount given. Several infections in dogs require antibiotics to be given for at least 7-10 days, if not more, depending on the type of infection. If owners are using left-over pills most likely there is not enough to give for a proper amount of time. This may lead to relapses, with the infection making a come-back for the worst if not treated properly. This is why antibiotics have a label noting ''Take as prescribed''. Owners, therefore, should not have leftover antibiotics to start with, since in order to be taken correctly the whole bottle should most likely have been completely finished!

• Problem with Types

Different types of infections may require different types of antibiotics. While it is true that humans and dogs at times are prescribed the same types of antibiotics such as penicillin,amoxicillin, cephalexin and clavamox, it is also true that these antibiotics may be prescribed accordingly to treat specific types of infections. A type of antibiotic may not be able to effectively fight a certain type of strain of bacteria and this creates substantial problems. For this reason, vets at times perform diagnostic tests so to identify the type of bacteria they are dealing with and prescribe the most appropriate antibiotic.

*Note: Having worked along with vets, I have gotten phone calls from dog owners asking if they could treat their dog at home with a certain type of antibiotic. Unfortunately, no vet would ever recommend a specific antibiotic without seeing the pet. This was not because the vet wanted to make money as many dog owners assumed, but was simply because doing so was malpractice. A vet CANNOT legally prescribe a medication or diagnose a pet without performing a medical exam. Having your pet seen by a vet is in your pet's best interest.

It is not uncommon for me to encounter dog owners who claim they purchase their dog's antibiotics over the internet.without a prescription. How? This is a legit question since most dog owners know that a prescription is required in most cases in order for online pharmacies to ship out their antibiotics. Some dog owners have found some short-cuts by purchasing antibiotics online from online pet retail stores selling antibiotics for fish. By reading the reviews, actually, I even discovered some people admitting using the antibiotics for themselves!

Popular products sold are Aqua-Mox (Amoxicillin 500 mg), Fish Mox: Amoxicillin 250mg, Fish-Cillin (Ampicillin 250 mg) Fish Zole (Metronidazole 250mg) and Fish Fungus: (Ketoconazole 200mg). Of course, with such products, the same issues as using human left over antibiotics apply. How much to give? For how long? and what type of antibiotic is needed?

While the source of such antibiotics may be questionable, I have noticed that more and more dog owners have started to order these products for their dogs. While their dogs may be healing when given correctly, one must consider the degree of risk these online antibiotics may pose. Note the manufacturing company notes ''For use in fish only''. My take on this is to avoid self-medicating pets with antibiotics as much as possible, for the reasons already mentioned above.

Disclaimer: If your pet is sick, please have your veterinarian diagnose and treat your pet accordingly. There may be considerable risks associated with self-medicating dogs without a veterinarian's advice.