What is amoxicillin
Amoxicillin is a type of antibiotic that belongs to the group penicillin and is being used for the treatment of a variety of bacterial infections in Dogs. Moreover, it is an internationally recognized antibiotic that could be used for the treatment of pneumonia, ear infection, kidney infection, urinary tract infection, or all kinds of skin infections as well. As it is considered a safe and effective medicine that could be taken orally or also available in the form of injections. In this article, we are going to know besides all of these benefits how it works for dogs and in which cases we use it for dogs.
Why is amoxicillin being used in dogs?
As in humans, amoxicillin is used for the treatment of bacterial infections as well. In most cases, it is used to treat:
- Skin infections
- Urinary tract infections
- Dental infections
- Ear infections
- All kinds of injuries
Like in humans, amoxicillin is proven highly contributing to the treatment in all severe cases. It not only stops the process of breeding in the dogs but all the existing ones being killed as well. It does so by interfering with the composition of bacteria. By taking amoxicillin cell wall of bacteria is decomposed by which all the interior material is released and bacteria die on the spot.
Is amoxicillin safe for dogs?
According to a research center and a lot of experience, amoxicillin is proven safe for dogs. Here are some reasons why it could be used for dogs:
- Among a lot of other antibiotics, it is proven highly effective and all kinds of infections. It could be treated in no time irrespective of other antibiotics.
- It creates low toxicity in the dogs as only minimal side effects are observed in dogs.
- There is a wide range of availability of amoxicillin as it could be taken in the form of tablets, capsules, or injections as well.
- Amoxicillin is also good to treat any kind of infection in pregnant dogs without facing some harsh side effects.
- There are clear guidelines for using or dosing amoxicillin for dogs as they are fit for them.
Dosage
How much quantity of amoxicillin should take to dogs depend upon some factors like the age and type of infection. Here are some guidelines that you should follow for the dosing of amoxicillin to dogs.
- The typical dose of amoxicillin is 5 to 10 mg per pound, which is good to take orally.
- It is good to use it 2 to 3 times per day.
- In most cases, the duration of its treatment continues for 5 to 7 days but it could be varied depending upon the conditioning of a particular infection.
- Amoxicillin could be given to dogs with or without food but it is good to use it after giving some food to your dog by which the risk of the stomach being upset reduces to a minimum.
- It is important to give a full course of amoxicillin to your dog that will help in the complete eradication of infection. It prevents suffering from an infection in the future as well.
- If you are using amoxicillin for a liver or kidney infection, it is good to take the dose in minimum quantity.
- By observing any kind of allergic reactions it is good to take a break in medication or use some medication for that rashes as well.
Human amoxicillin vs pet amoxicillin
Here are enlisted a few differences in amoxicillin between humans and dogs:
- Amoxicillin for dogs is available in a variety of formulations and it becomes easier to administer it in the body of dogs.
- As the metabolism of dogs is different from humans therefore its dosage is less than humans according to some particular factors.
- Amoxicillin for humans could be taken from any of the pharmacies but in the case of dogs, it could be taken from a veterinarian only.
- The chemical formula or composition of amoxicillin for dogs is different completely from the ones that are for humans.
- Amoxicillin creates some side effects on both humans and dogs but the nature of both is different from each other.
- But it is also one more fact that amoxicillin is used for the treatment of bacterial infections.
Alternatives of amoxicillin

There are a lot of antibiotics that could be used as an alternative to amoxicillin to treat all kinds of bacterial infections in dogs as:
- Cephalexin
- Clindamycin
- Doxycycline
- Enrofloxacin
- Metronidazole
It is a point to be noted as all of these could be used according to disease-specific. No doubt being used to treat bacterial infections but used according to disease-specific.
Side effects of amoxicillin in dogs
As amoxicillin is considered safe for dogs. With a lot of benefits here these are some side effects that could happen while using it:
- The stomach could be upset which results in diarrhea, vomiting, loss of appetite, and some kind of disturbance in the digestive tract as well.
- The appearance of allergic reactions is the formation of rashes, redness, swelling, and inflammation in different parts of the body.
- You can also observe some kind of change in the behavior of dogs as some kind of fatigue or dizziness.
- Continuous use of amoxicillin also disturbs the balance between microorganisms that causes yeast infection in different body parts.
- Changes in the urinary tract or the color of urine could also change by it.
- A lot of blood disorders could also happen by regular use of amoxicillin.
Conclusion
If you love to have a pet but your dog is suffering from some illness in its health. The first step is the diagnosis that what is an actual problem with it. In case it is suffering from bacterial infection then amoxicillin is the best medication to treat it. Moreover, to use it properly all the guidelines are here for you from dosing to all instructions to keep it under consideration until it