Flucloxacillin is an antibiotic that is in the category of penicillin, and is used to treat a myriad of infections located throughout the body. It’s an effective treatment for humans, but does come with its fair share of side effects. So is this something you can use to treat infections in your cat?
The short answer is no, and you shouldn’t give it to your cat without first consulting with your vet to find out exactly what’s wrong with your pet, and then getting an accurate prescription if it is deemed necessary.
The reason that the overall answer is no is because there’s no way for you to accurately diagnose the condition of your pet, and then decide if Flucloxacillin is the best choice for the problem they’re having. Vets go to school for years and treat thousands of pets in order to gain the knowledge and troubleshooting skills they have.
In addition to that, if you’re considering giving them some of your own supply from your last prescription, there are some inherent problems. You’re supposed to take the entire prescription when you’re given an antibiotic, so you shouldn’t have any left over. Also, you shouldn’t give your cat medications that are meant for humans because the companies behind these drugs did not test them or create them for canine use. There are foundational differences between the two species and no amount of tinkering with the dosages is going to make it OK for them.
Can I Give My Cat Flucloxacillin? Answer: Not Recommended
Flucloxacillin is effective in humans, that’s why it’s readily prescribed, but it’s not without its drawbacks in the form of side effects ranging from diarrhea, rashes, general nausea, as well as being allergic to it. And these are side effects that humans experience when taking the drug in prescribed doses for conditions that it’s meant to treat. The side effects that might occur in cats could includes these but could also include plenty more, but the research is limited and the only evidence that exists is owners sharing what happened to their cats.
Infections in Cats
Cats can come down with all sorts of infections, especially if they are indoor/outdoor cats. It’s often quite hard to determine where the infection came from, and therefore it’s difficult to prevent against them as well. Different infections require different treatments, and there’s no one-size-fits-all antibiotic that is a magic bullet for everything that your cat will catch. Viruses and bacteria have the ability to mutate as well, so by giving them the wrong dosage of the wrong medication for a short period of time you could actually be contributing to keeping them sicker longer.
Preventing Infections
There are only so many things you can do to try to protect your cat from getting an infection. Cats will be cats and you can’t watch them 24/7 so the best you can do is try to play detective and find out how they’re contracting these infections. If they have a flea problem you’ll want to get some flea medication. You’ll also want to try keeping them indoors exclusively for a while to see if their trips outside is what’s causing the problems.
Keeping Your Cat Healthy
If you’ve noticed that your cat is prone to getting infections you may want to take steps to boost their immune system and overall well-being. This usually starts by upgrading their cat food so they’re getting all of the nutrients and vitamins they need to stay healthy. In addition to helping your cat fight off diseases, it should also give them more energy and better looking hair. This one change can provide dramatic benefits, but be sure to keep their litter box clean, and their water dish full so they’re not dehydrated.
To wrap up: Don’t give your cat antibiotics like Flucloxacillin that are prescribed for human use. You may see owners saying it’s OK, and even vets giving general dosage instructions, but it’s not the kind of advice that you want to take for your cat, and a quick trip to their own vet can do a world of good for them. It’s good to do your research as a responsible cat owner, so take the next step and find out what’s really wrong with them.
I am taking care of a feral cat and had her spayed 10 days ago. She go the stitches out after 7 days and the wound looks horrible. Taking her back to the vet is not an option but I thought of sprinkling Flucloxacillin powder from the capsules on her food. Good idea?
Feral cats being spayed should always be kept in a collapsible cage for a period of time afterwards. This is to make sure they are okay and if they do need to go back to the vet. You need to trap her and get her back to the vet. If the spay site is so bad then she will have a more serious infection than what flucloxacillin can treat.
She would have had a long lasting shot of antibiotic when spayed so if she looks badly infected then she needs something stronger. Go back to the vet and explain. Take a photo of it if you can. He should prescribe something for her without having to see her because she’s already his patient.
If the vet is an ass and refuses to help you go to another vet. If all else fails I would try her with 50mg of flucloxacillin twice or thrice daily if that’s all I had and her life was in danger.