What should you know about OTC antibiotics for dogs?

A dog’s wound, cough, diarrhoea, eye discharge or urinary problem may have an infectious cause, but it may also result from irritation, allergy, parasites, a foreign body or another illness. Antibiotics act against selected bacteria; they do not treat every cause of similar signs.

A veterinary prescriber considers the dog’s weight, age, medical history, allergies, organ function and other medicines. The wrong product can delay appropriate care, cause side effects, or make later treatment harder. Human medicines and leftover courses are not suitable substitutes.

Contact a veterinarian and describe the signs, when they started, recent medicines, appetite, drinking, urination and energy. Do not give a new antibiotic, stop a prescribed course early, or use medication left from another animal unless the veterinarian directs you.

Until advice is available, prevent licking or chewing of an injury, keep fresh water available, and avoid applying household creams or disinfectants. Keep the medicine packaging if an accidental dose has already been given so the clinician can identify it.

Seek urgent veterinary help for difficulty breathing, collapse, seizures, repeated vomiting, a swollen abdomen, uncontrolled bleeding, suspected poisoning, severe pain, inability to urinate, or a rapidly worsening wound. Young, elderly or medically fragile dogs may need earlier assessment.

Ask what is causing the signs, whether testing is needed, which treatment is appropriate, how to give it, which side effects matter, and when the dog should be reassessed.