What Happens If You Stop an Antibiotic Too Soon With Aspiration Pneumonia in a Dog?

Pneumonia is a serious infection in the lungs, typically caused by the presence of fluid or some other foreign material. Aspiration pneumonia occurs when a dog inhales fluid into its lungs and is most common among dogs who have vomited and then inhaled their own vomit. This potentially life-threatening condition is treated with antibiotics and, in severe cases, dogs may need artificial respiratory devices until the pneumonia is gone. Stopping antibiotic therapy before the antibiotics are gone is extremely risky and can result in pneumonia that is much more difficult to treat.

  1. How Antibiotics Work

    • In order to understand the importance of giving your dog the full course of antibiotics, you need to understand how antibiotics treat disease. All animals' immune systems work constantly to prevent infections from a variety of pathogens. When a bacteria grows faster than your dog's immune system can kill it, it causes an infection like pneumonia. Antibiotics work to kill off the bacteria, amplifying the normal activity of your dog's immune system. Bacteria continues to grow while your dog is taking antibiotics, but the right antibiotic will begin to kill the bacteria faster than it can grow if you continue giving your dog the medication.

    Bacterial Mutations

    • Bacteria reproduce much faster than other organisms, frequently as quickly as every 20 minutes. This rapid speed of reproduction is highly likely to result in mutations. Some mutations may make the bacteria resistant to antibiotics. When you give the antibiotic to your dog at regular intervals, however, the bacteria cannot reproduce as quickly, thus lessening the likelihood of resistant strands of bacteria. Even if a few resistant bacteria are reproduced, however, the body's immune system will typically kill them if you continue to give your dog the antibiotic.

    Antibiotic Resistance

    • Antibiotic-resistant infections are infections that aren't easily killed by standard antibiotics. When you stop giving your dog an antibiotic too early, the bacteria with resistant mutations are more likely to survive and reproduce. This means that, even if you start the antibiotic again later, it may not kill the bacteria. Your veterinarian will have to prescribe a different antibiotic. In severe cases of resistance, your veterinarian will have to try several antibiotics before one works, subjecting your dog to the side effects of several antibiotics as well as the risks of being infected with aspiration pneumonia for an extended period of time.

    Secondary Infection

    • In addition to the risks of antibiotic-resistant infections, aspiration pneumonia that isn't fully treated can give rise to secondary infections in other areas of the body. Some bacteria may spread to the heart or the bloodstream. It's important for dog owners to know that even these infections can be effectively treated with prompt medical care, so if your dog appears to be getting sicker, contact your veterinarian immediately. However, secondary infections are much riskier and more difficult to treat. Your dog may require intravenous antibiotics, surgery and other extreme treatments if the infection is permitted to spread.