Antibiotics are an integral part of battling many biological infections suffered by both humans and pets. Their applications run a gamut of combating infectious disease to aiding recovery after surgical procedures.
There can be too much of a good thing, however, which begs the complicated question, when does a pet need to be treated with antibiotics and when should they not be?
This is, unsurprisingly, a question best answered by the treating veterinarian as a host of factors can influence the decision on whether to prescribe antibiotics or not.
In recent years the world has seen a growing number of bacterial strains that have evolved to be resistant to current antibiotics. This was able to occur in no small part because of the inappropriate prescription and application of antibiotics.
If your veterinarian has prescribed antibiotics for your pet, it is vitally important to follow the labelled instructions exactly. This not only ensures the health of your pet but also reduces the opportunity to develop antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria.
Does your pet seem healthy before the script is completed? Finish the prescribed dosages all the same.
If your pet is undergoing antibiotic treatment, it is not only going to combat the harmful bacteria but also the helpful as well.
Our guts are filled with bacteria that play an essential role in keeping us healthy on a day-to-day basis and the same goes for our pets. Antibiotics deplete these good bacteria just as they do the bad so your vet may also outline a prebiotic and probiotic regimen for recovery.
Maintaining a healthy level of gut bacteria is also important to ward off future disease, combat illness, and aid in development. For this reason, antibiotics are used sparingly in very young animals and pregnant mothers.
If you have questions about antibiotics and your pet, contact your local veterinarian today.