Antibiotic Resistance
We all know that a visit to the veterinary clinic can be expensive. It’s completely understandable to want to try to save money wherever and however you can. Unfortunately, when it comes to your pet and their medications, that is not a good idea. Some people think that when their pet is prescribed a medication, they can just use it until they see an improvement in the animal and then save the rest in case it’s needed at a later date. Others will continue to give a medication longer than the suggested amount of time. We’re going to tell you why both of these can be harmful to your pet.
Antibiotics do help in restoring the health of a pet, but anytime they are used, there is the potential that they can lead to antibiotic resistance. This is when germs like bacteria and fungi develop the ability to defeat the drugs designed to kill them. They then continue to grow and may spread between people, animals, or the environment.
When an animal builds up a resistance to antibiotics, antibiotic resistant bacterial infections may occur. In other words, the infection cannot be killed, nor the growth stopped. These types of infections are difficult and costly to treat, and sometimes require the use of toxic and dangerous alternatives. These infections most commonly affect the skin, gastrointestinal tract, urinary tract, or respiratory tract.
Dogs and cats that have certain medical conditions and are prescribed antibiotics frequently are at a higher risk for antibiotic resistant bacterial infections. Some of these conditions include skin allergies, diabetes mellitus, and Cushing’s disease. Signs that your pet has an antibiotic resistant infection are when the infection does not respond appropriately to an antibiotic or a fever of unknown origin occurs.
To reduce the risk of your pet building up a resistance to antibiotics, be sure that you are giving prescribed medications on time and to the exact completion as recommended by your vet. Use antibiotics ONLY when needed. If you do bring an antibiotic home, make sure you store it correctly, as shown on the package. This goes for oral antibiotics, as well as topical medications. In some cases, probiotics are recommended as well. These have shown promising results in the prevention and treatment of antibiotic resistant bacterial infections.
As usual, the best thing you can do is follow the advice of your veterinarian to assure your pet stays as healthy as possible!