Any time your dog or cat has an infection, take her to your veterinarian for an examination. Infections are not something you can and treat on your own using over-the-counter antibiotics or antibiotics bought from a non-certified compounding pharmacy online. Infections must be treated with exact doses and treatment lengths. Evan Ware is a veterinary practitioner in Phoenix, Arizona. His areas of expertise include orthopedic medicine and surgery, veterinary oncology and chemotherapy, and general and advanced soft-tissue surgery.
This content is intended for counseling purposes only. No claims are made as to the safety or efficacy of mentioned preparations. You are encouraged to speak with your prescriber as to the appropriate use of any medication. Use of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them. About Human Health Careers Contact. Customer Care : Create an Online Account. Refill and Renew Pet Prescriptions Ordering your pet's prescription drugs from Wedgewood Pharmacy is safe, and convenient.
Have a new prescription from your vet? If your cat is displaying any of the above symptoms it's time for a trip to the veterinarian. It is essential to treat eye infections early in order to prevent the infection from spreading to the other eye, becoming more severe, or being spread to other pets in your household or neighborhood. Your vet will determine the best treatment for your cat's eye infection based upon the results of the examination and of your cat's overall health.
If however your cat's eye infection is due to an underlying condition such as FeLV or Calicivirus the underlying condition may be the main focus of the treatment. Treatments for underlying conditions will depend upon the nature of the illness but may include oral antibiotics, immune boosters or other treatments. Many human medications are toxic or otherwise dangerous for pets. This is especially true for cats since their compact size means that even the tiniest amounts of a dangerous substance can be life-threatening.
Neosporin is a topical antibiotic ointment that works very well on humans but is not recommended for cats.
Mitigation of antimicrobial resistance has been an emerging topic that plays an important role in human and veterinary medicine. Antimicrobial resistance in bacteria is a naturally occurring phenomenon and has been subject to evolution over millions of years [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ].
The frequent use of antimicrobials in human and veterinary medicine and in agriculture exerts an enormous selection pressure on bacterial populations and promotes the development of multidrug-resistant bacteria that can readily spread their resistance genes by various mechanisms [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. Antibiotic use in veterinary medicine is discussed as one of the main drivers for resistance development.
In Europe, around tons of antibiotics were sold for veterinary use in , with pronounced differences between countries [ 6 ]. The amount of antibiotics used in companion animals in Europe in comparison to the amount prescribed in livestock is relatively small [ 6 ], but is not to be neglected. The close contact of pets with their owners facilitates the transmission of multidrug-resistant organisms between humans and companion animals [ 1 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ].
Furthermore, the trend for intensive medical care of dogs and cats poses a risk for nosocomial infections [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ] and is associated with an increasing number of geriatric and immunosuppressed patients that are highly susceptible to infections with multidrug-resistant bacteria. Surveys describing antimicrobial use in dogs and cats revealed that antibiotics are frequently prescribed, in particular beta-lactam antibiotics [ 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 ], and that cats are especially exposed to the critically important third generation cephalosporins [ 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 ].
Most previous studies performed in dogs and cats were based on questionnaires presenting hypothetical scenarios that have been sent out to veterinarians [ 22 , 23 , 28 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 ].
These studies are commonly hampered by a selection bias, recall bias and prevarication bias, and the answers given do not necessarily reflect the actual prescribing practice. Some studies analyzed pharmacy records [ 38 , 39 ] and veterinary or pet insurance databases [ 21 , 22 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 29 , 30 , 32 ] but only few studies evaluated whether prescriptions practice was in accordance with relevant guidelines [ 24 , 26 , 27 , 33 , 34 ].
The aims of this study were to investigate the antimicrobial prescribing practice in Switzerland for indications in cats with frequent use of antibiotics, i. The a priori compliance with the proposed guidelines was evaluated in this study to lay the basis to monitor, in a next step, the impact of these guidelines on antimicrobial prescription patterns in Switzerland. A total of cats were included in the study. Case characteristics are shown in Table 1.
A detailed overview of clinical symptoms, diagnostic procedures and antimicrobial prescription for each indication is given in Tables 2 , 3 and 4. The antimicrobial combinations used were potentiated or non-potentiated aminopenicillins together with fluoroquinolones, first generation cephalosporins, tetracyclines, amphenicols or third generation cephalosporins. One cat received a triple therapy consisting of an aminopenicillin, a fluoroquinolone and a tetracycline.
The diagnostic work-up and antimicrobial prescription patterns differed between private practices and university hospitals Table 2. For combination therapy, potentiated or non-potentiated aminopenicillins together with fluoroquinolones or third generation cephalosporins were used.
Diagnostic work-up and antimicrobial prescription patterns were again different between the university hospitals and private practices Table 3. Combination therapy was uncommon 3 cases and antimicrobial combinations used were potentiated or non-potentiated aminopenicillins together with fluoroquinolones or third generation cephalosporins.
The cats were treated for 1 to 24 median 7 days. Antibiotic therapy was not associated with any of the symptoms listed in the guidelines, i.
The diagnostic work-up was more elaborate at the university hospitals, and critically important antibiotics were less commonly prescribed at the universities, but the prudent use pattern of prescriptions was not clearly superior when compared to private practices. This was mainly due to the very common use of potentiated aminopenicillins instead of non-potentiated aminopenicillins at the universities. On the other hand, the quality of antimicrobial prescription could often not be judged in the cases from private practices because the diagnostic work-up or the symptoms of the patients were not documented.
The common discrepancy of antimicrobial prescription with recently established consensus guidelines [ 40 , 41 ] at the two university hospitals is surprising considering that senior clinicians of these hospitals were involved in the drafting of the guidelines.
The overall frequency of antimicrobial treatment was also not different at the university hospitals compared to private practices. However, our data indicates that the animals presented to the university hospitals were more often pretreated or hospitalized, and could thus have been in a more debilitated condition. This overall low accordance raises the question of whether the proposed guidelines cannot be implemented in clinical practice, for example, due to poor market availability of appropriate antibiotic formulations, or whether the content is not well disseminated among veterinary practitioners.
The critically important antibiotics used in cats in this study were mostly third generation cephalosporins as well as fluoroquinolones. A previous study evaluating electronic health records found that inability to orally medicate the cat was the most common reason given for prescribing cefovecin [ 42 ].
An online survey in veterinarians in Switzerland also revealed that the route of application was the most important factor in the choice of antimicrobial therapy in cats [ 43 ]. In our study, the prescription of critically important antibiotics was significantly more frequent in private practices compared to the university hospitals.
This observation supports the hypothesis that the workplace environment is an important factor determining treatment decisions and antimicrobial use [ 44 ]. University hospitals, as training centers, may have stronger restrictions for the use of critically important antibiotics: one of the two university hospitals of this study completely forbids the use of third generation cephalosporins in its patients.
On the other hand, the cats at the university hospitals were more commonly hospitalized compared to the cases in private practices, thus allowing for parenteral medication and avoiding the problem of oral application of the antibiotic drug. Antimicrobial prescription in the absence of proper diagnostic work-up was very common in this study.
In a previous study based on a questionnaire, Our results indicate that these data based on questionnaires are probably too optimistic and that bacterial culture, an essential diagnostic work-up step for cats with FLUTD, is rarely performed in private practices. Also many of these cats suffered from urinary tract obstruction and antibiotic therapy was initiated after removal of the indwelling urinary catheter.
These tests can be useful to support a diagnosis of viral infection and to initiate supportive measures such as the prescription of famciclovir in the case of FHV infection, and thus reduce the use of antibiotics [ 46 ].
Potentiated aminopenicillins were most often prescribed at the university hospitals, while third generation cephalosporins and aminopenicillins were most commonly used in private practices. A study revealed that amoxicillin with clavulanic acid is not superior to doxycycline when treating cats with signs of acute respiratory tract disease [ 47 ].
The more compromised clinical condition of the patients at university hospitals could explain the common use of potentiated aminopenicillins instead of doxycycline due to the lack of a licensed injectable doxycycline preparation in Switzerland. However, potentiated instead of non-potentiated aminopenicillins were almost exclusively used at the universities.
Non-potentiated and potentiated aminopenicillins are often used interchangeably although it has been shown that the use of clavulanic acid may increase AmpC-mediated resistance causing inducible organisms to become insensitive to 1st to 3rd generation cephalosporins [ 48 , 49 ].
The frequent use of potentiated aminopenicillins instead of non-potentiated aminopenicillins in this study could also be due to the better availability of these products on the market, since they make up the largest part of antimicrobial compounds licensed for cats in Switzerland [ 50 ].
In children, antibiotics might sometimes be applied instead of local wound drainage to avoid anesthesia or sedation [ 51 ]. It can be assumed that, in many of these cases, antibiotics were supplemented as a preventative measure. Studies from human medicine showed that appropriate drainage of the abscess is important and that antibiotic treatment may not be necessary [ 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 ]. Several guidelines for small animals state that an antibiotic treatment is not indicated if the abscess is well-defined and the animal is in a good general condition [ 56 , 57 , 58 ].
The present study has some limitations. The insufficient documentation in the databases limited the information available for review.
The presence of bacteria in urine sediment analysis of an aseptically collected urine sample was considered appropriate to confirm a bacterial etiology in cases with FLUTD, although this is considered insufficient diagnostic work-up according to some guidelines due to the variable quality of interpretation, the risk of stain contamination as well as the possibility of false positive results [ 57 , 59 ].
In a recent study, overall accuracy of in-house microscopic evaluation for bacteriuria in primary practice was only Furthermore, the generally low prevalence of bacterial cystitis in cats should not result in many false positive results [ 65 , 66 , 67 ]. The assessment score used in this study leaves a margin of interpretation and the justification of antimicrobial prescription was based on consensus guidelines released in Switzerland.
Results could differ to some extent when comparing prescription to guidelines from other countries. Furthermore, the limited number of cases included per practice did also not allow for a statistical analysis at a single practice level.
Also, there could be a selection bias since the participation in this study was on a voluntary basis and the enrolled practices might have been more aware of antimicrobial resistance and more likely to prescribe antibiotics prudently. The present study highlights the need to promote antimicrobial stewardship in small animal medicine and to implement effective intervention strategies.
Particular attention should be paid to the education of veterinarians, the propagation of diagnostic work-up and the need for proper documentation to justify antibiotic treatment. Antimicrobial stewardship at universities should be urgently advanced as they serve as role models for veterinary practice. Developments on the market to provide small spectrum antibiotics for convenient application would be of particular importance in cats since the route of application is a major factor in the choice of antimicrobials in this species.
Please make sure not to include any personal information in the box where you enter your question. You will receive an answer from Dr.
All answers are provided for informational or educational purposes only, and are intended to be a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise and professional judgment of your pet's veterinarian.
It may be necessary to consult your pet's veterinarian regarding the applicability of any opinions or recommendations with respect to your pet's symptoms or medical condition. Infection in your cat's body can be caused by several types of microorganisms. These include bacterium, viruses, fungi, and protozoa. Your veterinarian will determine the kind of antibiotic medication used to treat your cat after diagnosing the infection and understanding which type of organism is the culprit.
The antibiotic used to treat your cat will depend on how the medication works in your cat's body. Your veterinarian will also discuss potential side effects you should look out for. If you accidentally skip a dose of antibiotics, give the missed dose as soon as you remember unless it is almost time for the next regularly scheduled dose. Do not give your cat two doses unless otherwise directed by your veterinarian. Bacterium can attack your cat's body through open wounds, in something your cat ingests, or just by being present in your cat's environment.
They come in different shapes and sizes, and the physical characteristics will help your veterinarian determine which bacteria are infecting your cat. These microscopic, one-celled organisms cause gastroenteritis, pneumonia, skin infections, urinary tract problems, and many other diseases.