"Metronidazole" for cats: purpose, dosage, instructions for use and reviews of veterinarians

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

As a rule, different specialized drugs are used to treat people and animals, but some medicines can be considered universal. One of these drugs is the antibiotic Metronidazole, originally intended for the treatment of humans, but now widely used in veterinary medicine.

It is forbidden to use it alone on animals, and only an experienced specialist can prescribe the drug, taking into account the diagnosis and weight of the pet to calculate the correct dosage.

Destination

Metronidazole treatment of cats and dogs is carried out if the animal has certain skin diseases, parasites or infections of the oral cavity. Cats are especially sensitive to side effects, so when choosing a medication, you should take this into account and regularly monitor the pet's he alth. Animals during pregnancy, nursing or liver failureit is forbidden to prescribe this drug.

In veterinary pharmacies, Metronidazole for cats can only be purchased with a doctor's prescription. The drug is sold in the form of tablets and solutions for injection. The features of the latter option should not even be considered, since only a veterinarian can use it in treatment. In tablets, the medication is prescribed for home treatment, and you can learn more about pet therapy with them from the material provided.

Medication action

Metronidazole tablets for cats can be bought from any manufacturer. Changing the pharmaceutical company does not affect the effectiveness of the drug. The drug is produced in a dosage of 250 or 500 mg. Tablets are always white, flat-cylindrical, rounded, with a bitter taste.

Relates to "Metronidazole" to antimicrobial and antiprotozoal agents of a wide spectrum of action. It can be used in the complex treatment of mastitis, gingivitis, postpartum infections, gastrointestinal diseases, dysentery, stomatitis, diarrhea, balantidiasis, necrobacteriosis, giardiasis, infection with amoebas, Trichomonas, and so on.

"Metronidazole" for cats, dogs and other domestic animals (even cattle) is an excellent remedy for many diseases, besides, they become infected with parasites much more often than the person himself.

How to give the drug

Cats are very sensitive to any taste changes, so they rarely eat food mixed with medication. The bitter taste of the pill repels the animal, and fortreatment requires choosing a different tactic.

As such, instructions for the use of "Metronidazole" for cats do not exist, since the drug is intended for human therapy. You can find out all the nuances of dosage and administration from a veterinarian.

Experts advise to wash your hands thoroughly before starting work with the medicine. After that, the right amount of the drug must be crushed into powder and diluted with a small amount of water so that the liquid fits into the syringe without a needle.

The animal must be immobilized, tightly wrapped in cloth, open the cat's mouth with your fingers and pour the contents of the syringe directly into the pharynx. Only in this way the pet will not be able to spit out the drug and injure the owner.

Dosage

On average, the norm of the active ingredient of the drug is 10 mg per 1 kg of cat weight. The dosage of "Metronidazole" for each specific case is calculated individually, depending on the severity of the disease and the exact weight of the pet. For some individuals, as little as 8 mg/kg is enough for a full and quick recovery.

Multiplicity of reception - always 2 times a day with an interval of 12 hours. It is recommended to choose morning and evening time for this. Relief of the condition of a sick pet occurs after the first dose, since the concentration of the active substance remains at around 80% for 8 hours after ingestion.

Prohibited use

“Metronidazole” is contraindicated for cats during lactation, since the active substance of the drug enters the milk, making it bitter andaffecting the he alth of the kittens.

If such treatment is necessary, feeding is interrupted, transferring kittens to artificial mixtures. In the future, the offspring rarely returns to breastfeeding, so the owner must prepare for the fact that he will have to feed the kittens on his own. It is impossible to treat an animal during pregnancy, as the substance can harm future cubs.

Contraindication is also the pet's liver failure and a tendency to allergies. Cats in general are very sensitive to many external and internal stimuli, so the prescription of the drug should be carried out taking into account all the characteristics of the animal's body and possible reactions when several medications interact.

Side effects

The use of "Metronidazole" for cats, like any other antimicrobial drug, significantly affects the immunity of the animal, weakening the protective functions of the body. That is why during treatment with the drug it is recommended to isolate the pet from other animals and keep it only at home in complete cleanliness for a certain time. Against the background of a weakened immune system, the pet may show signs of an allergy that was not previously noticed, which will lead to a deterioration in the condition of the animal.

In addition, the cat may experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, loss of appetite and other gastrointestinal disorders.

Seen in animals and hyperactivity,weakness, frequent urination, drowsiness, dizziness and depression. As a rule, you can notice such negative reactions at the first manifestations, since the body of cats is very sensitive.

Extremely rare fever is also a side effect of taking the drug. During an illness, it is difficult to determine the relationship between fever and the prescribed drug on your own, so you need to carefully monitor any changes in your pet's behavior.

All minor reactions are eliminated by discontinuation of the drug, but this is usually not required, since in most cases the correct dosage does not entail any negative consequences.

Recommendations from experts

To avoid serious he alth problems for your pet, you should regularly carry out the prevention of infection with parasites. Cats, especially those that go outside, are prone to developing enterobiasis, lice, fleas and other pests.

Metronidazole may not always help cats, so at the first symptoms of infection, you should contact your veterinarian for appropriate help.

When an animal has diarrhea and there is no opportunity to visit a doctor, you can give the drug to your pet on your own, but only by correctly calculating the dose. Even if after this the symptoms stop, you still need to seek the advice of a specialist.

Metronidazole can be stored at temperatures from -10 to +40 without loss of therapeutic properties,the main thing is not to leave the medicine in open sunlight and with free access for children. You can buy the drug at any pharmacy at an average cost of 25 rubles.

Analogues

If necessary, an antibiotic can replace drugs with a broader spectrum of action:

• "Levomycetin";
• Ofloxacin;



• "Doxycycline" and others.

Along with the therapeutic effect, the list of contraindications, side effects and the risk of their occurrence also increases, so if the doctor recommends using Metronidazole, you should not replace the remedy yourself or ask a specialist about it.

Reviews

Veterinarians have long been using in their practice not only specialized preparations for animals, but also medicines from ordinary pharmacies. As for the treatment of dogs, it is much easier to find a suitable drug, but in the treatment of giardiasis in cats, veterinarians trust only Metronidazole. It has already happened that nothing more effective has yet been invented. As for the treatment of animals that have contraindications for he alth reasons, then, despite all the advantages of the medication in question, it is simply necessary to replace it for the he alth and life of the animal. Instructions for "Metronidazole" (dosage prescribed by a veterinarian for cats) provides for treatment at any stage of infection with parasites and guarantees the result. Veterinarians speak of the drug extremely positively, as it demonstrates the best performance indicators and withthe correct dosage in most cases is well tolerated by pets. Experts assure that in order to consolidate the result of treatment, it is necessary not only to complete the entire course, but also to provide the pet with good nutrition in the future, which will be enough for prevention.

Cat owners say that in rare cases, the animal's body may react negatively to the medication.