Bacterial infections in cats is not an uncommon thing. The most common treatment for bacterial infections in both humans and animals is antibiotics. However, with the many types of antibiotics available, it is essential to consult your vet before administering any antibiotic to your pet.

Ideally, the choice of antibiotic is based on culture and sensitivity testing. However, in most cases, this can be impractical, and your veterinary doctor may prescribe medication based on the organisms available on the infection site.

While the culture and sensitivity testing should not be ignored, your veterinary doctor may also use cytology to identify the presence of bacteria.

The type of antibiotic your vet will prescribe to your cat is also dependent on compliance. Compared to dogs, treatment of cats can be a daunting task. As such, to ensure that the prescribed antibiotic is administered as expected, pet owner compliance is necessary.

Among other things, your pet’s veterinary surgeon will consider your previous experience to medicate your cat, availability, any other concurrent medications, and your cat’s regular diet.

Common Antibiotics for Cats

As a loving and caring pet parent, you will need to ensure that your feline friend stays healthy and happy. Aside from feeding your cat with the right food, water, and keeping their environment clean, you’ll also want to ensure that they’re protected from common diseases. This way, you will ensure that your pet does not always need medications.

However, should your cat develop a disease that will require antibiotics, it is crucial to ensure that you make the right choice. To that end, here are some of the common antibiotics for cats and their uses:

Cephalexin

Your veterinary doctor may prescribe Cephalexin for cats if your cat has bacterial infections of the respiratory system, skin, bones, urinary tract, and joints. Ideally, Cephalexin will provide treatment for a wide variety of bacterial infections, while limiting the growth of both bacteria and fungus. 

Just like dogs, cats are prone to bacterial infections of the respiratory system, skin, and skeleton. Cephalexin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic that will not only treat bacterial infection but minimize other harmful microorganisms as well.

However, ensure to consult your veterinary doctor before giving this product to your cat. Also, for it to be effective, ensure to follow all dosing instructions. Ideally, avoid giving your cat more than the required doses and don’t skip any doses. This way, the bacteria will not create resistance to future antibiotic medication.

Amoxicillin

Amoxicillin is a common antibiotic in humans as well. However, the way you use it is different from how you’ll administer it to your cat.

While many drugs apply to humans and pets, the way we use them is entirely different. Ideally, the internal body systems, body sizes, etc., will make all the difference.

Amoxicillin is an antibiotic drug that’s commonly used to treat gastrointestinal and urinary tract infections in animals. However, you should contact your veterinary doctor immediately if your cat starts to vomit and diarrhea after taking amoxicillin. Amoxicillin should make the digestive system better and not the other way round.

Gentamicin

Gentamicin is another common treatment for bacterial infections. It is commonly injected in both cats and dogs. Gentamicin is FDA-approved and is widely used for house pets.

Even so, while Gentamicin can help treat a wide range of bacterial infections, you should avoid it if your cat is dehydrated or has a fever.

Enrofloxacin

Enrofloxacin, also known as Baytril, is a common antibiotic used to treat internal bacterial infections. It is also used to treat urinary tract infections.

Enrofloxacin is generally safe to use for your cat. However, just like any other medication, it can interact with other medicines. Even so, it is an excellent choice for cats suffering from urinary tract infections.

Clindamycin

Clindamycin will come in handy if your cat has skin, dental, and bone infections. Your veterinary doctor may also recommend this medication if your cat has gingivitis.

Clindamycin can also be used to treat soft tissue infections like sprains, bruises, strains, and other issues associated with muscles. Ideally, your vet is likely to recommend clindamycin if they have muscle and bone infections.

Convenia

Convenia has, for a long time, been used as a single-dose antibiotic for both cats and dogs. A single dose takes about 14 days.

Convenia is majorly used to treat skin infections that could otherwise lead to biting and scratching. While most pet parents are still using it, just like other older antibiotics, Convenia may have far-reaching side effects.

Since Convenia stays for about one or two months in your cat’s system, you may want to be careful if you plan to give your cat other medications.