Home • Veterinary Pharmacy Articles • Amoxicillin / Clavulanic Acid Or Clavulanate Potassium
Veterinary Pharmacy Articles
Amoxicillin / Clavulanic Acid Or Clavulanate Potassium
Why has my veterinarian prescribed this medicine?
Amoxicillin/Clavulanic acid is a synthetic penicillin-type antibiotic used to treat infections caused by gram positive and gram negative bacteria. This medication may be used to treat urinary tract infections, skin and soft tissue infections and periodontal disease in dogs caused by susceptible organisms. The clavulanic acid is a beta-lactamase inhibitor it has been added to the amoxicillin to protect the antibiotic from certain enzymes which may destroy the amoxicillin before it can kill the bacteria.
How do I give this medication?
- Give this medication to your pet as directed by your veterinarian. READ THE LABEL CAREFULLY.
- If using the liquid form of this medication, shake well before measuring the dose and measure the dose with reasonable care.
- Give this medication to your pet for the time period prescribed by your veterinarian, even if it appears the pet is feeling better. This will help to ensure the infection is all cleared up.
- This medication may be given to your pet with or without food.
- DO NOT give the pet more medicine than directed.
- DO NOT give the medicine more often than directed.
- Try not to miss giving any doses.
What if I miss giving a dose?
Give the dose as soon as possible. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose, and continue with the regular schedule. Do not give the pet two doses at once.
How do I store this medicine?
- Keep this medicine out of reach of children.
- Store capsules and tablets in a cool, dry place at room temperature. Store away from heat and direct sunlight.
- The liquid medication should be stored in the refrigerator. Keep the liquid medicine from freezing. Discard any unused liquid after 10 days
- Do not store this medicine in the bathroom, near the kitchen sink or in damp places. The medicine may break down if exposed to heat or moisture.
Potential Side Effects
- Amoxicillin/Clavulanic acid may cause stomach upset, vomiting and diarrhea. If stomach upset occurs, try giving the medication with food. These symptoms may go away during treatment. If these symptoms continue, contact your veterinarian.
- The following reactions are rare, but if the pet experiences an allergic reaction such as irregular breathing, rash, fever, puffiness and swelling around the face contact your veterinarian immediately.
- Other side effects may occur. If you notice anything unusual, contact your veterinarian.
Possible drug interactions
- Make sure to tell your veterinarian what other medication you are giving your pet.
- Quite often your veterinarian may prescribe two different medications, and a drug interaction may be anticipated. In this case, your veterinarian may vary the dose and/or monitor your pet more closely.
- The following drugs can potentially interact with amoxicillin/claculanic acid: blood thinners, dipyradamole, inflammation or pain medicine (except narcotics), pentoxifyline, sulfinpyrazone, chloramphenicol, erythromycin, tetracycline, aminoglycosides, cephalosporins and probenecid.
- Contact your veterinarian if your pet experiences any unusual reactions when different medications are given together.
PET HEALTH LIBRARY
- The Pet Health Library contains information on some of the most common medical problems of dogs and cats. This information is designed to assist pet owners in better understanding their pets' health problems.
Cat Friendly Practice
- In the United States, there are millions more owned cats than owned dogs, yet cats visit veterinarians less frequently than dogs. A major reason is that it is very stressful to take cats to the veterinary practice and often owners believe their cat doesn't need routine check-ups for wellness and preventive care. The Cat Friendly Practice® (CFP) program, created by expert feline practitioners, provides a solution to this trend and provides an opportunity for veterinary practices to elevate care for cats and reduce the stress during the visit.