Cats Reactions to Antibiotics

Feline antibiotics are generally lower dosages of human antibiotics, so you probably recognize the name of the medication when your cat's vet hands over the prescribed drugs. The FDA has approved certain human medications for extra-label use in animals because their effectiveness in treating human illnesses extends to cats and other animals as well. Therefore, vets prescribe the same antibiotics we take to felines when they have a bacterial infection that needs healing.

  1. Function

    • Antibiotics function to effectively destroy the unwanted bacteria causing the infection in the cat's body. They accomplish this one of two ways: they either kill the infective bacteria, or they disable its ability to reproduce, putting a stop to the cyclical spread of bacterium. The cat's body is better able to react to the unwanted infection and fight it off once the bacteria are destroyed or suppressed.

    Types

    • Antibiotics are prescribed if the cat is suffering from an ear or eye infection, urinary tract or bladder infection, skin infections, respiratory infection or the infectious disease, ehrlichiosis, which is contracted by tick bites, according to VetInfo.com. The cat may need antibiotics from the penicillin class (such as amoxicillin, oxacillin or ticarcillin), aminoglycosides, cephalosporins, tetracyclines or erythromycins depending on the type of infection.

    Effects

    • The cat is already sensitive because its body is reacting to the infection itself, but it may react to the antibiotic as well. Side effects of antibiotics include vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, allergies (including rashes and facial swelling), fever, kidney or liver damage (compromised liver function may be marked with jaundice), light sensitivity, loss of fur and bloody stool. The cat should be taken back to the vet if it has any of these reactions to the prescribed antibiotics.

    Warning

    • A pregnant or nursing cat's reaction to an antibiotic extends beyond herself to her kittens. Consequently, should the mother cat become ill with a bacterial infection, she may not be able to take antibiotics as they are dangerous to the offspring. In particular, PetEducation.com calls out erythromycins and tetracyclines as dangerous to the queen and her kittens. These medications may not only cause a bad reaction in the queen, but they may severely harm her unborn fetuses or nursing kittens.

    Considerations

    • All cats react differently to medication and using antibiotics to fight infection might, ultimately, become an issue of the good outweighing the bad. As VetInfo.com explains, the key is diagnosing the type of bacterial strain causing the infection and prescribing the appropriate antibiotic to combat it. With this ammunition in hand, the vet can prescribe an antibiotic that will not only ease the cat's reaction to the infection, but hopefully not cause any additional negative reactions.