Clavamox for Dogs

Brand Name(s) : Augmentin (GlaxoSmithKline),

Clavamox (Pfizer Animal Health), Synulox, Clavaseptin

Generic Name : Amoxicillin and Clavulanate Potassium

Its rightly said that dog is man’s best friend. Here’s some good news for pet lovers, who are particularly concerned about their dog’s health. Pfizer, the global pharmaceutical giant offers Clavamox for dogs, an oral antibiotic used in dogs & cats to treat bacterial infections. Its an antibiotic belonging to the penicillin family. Clavamox is available in tablet or drop form. Its a combination of 2 drugs: Amoxicillin (antibiotic) and Clavulanic Acid (enzyme inhibitor).

Benefits of Clavamox:

1. Effective in treatment of skin & soft tissue infections in dogs & cats, periodontal (tooth related) infections in dogs & urinary tract (bladder & kidney) infections in cats.
2. Good for skin and soft-tissue infections such as wounds, abscesses & cellulitis
3. Proven to be a safe anti-bacterial treatment

How Clavamox works:

Clavamox kills bacteria directly. It combines the antibiotic activity of amoxicillin with the unique beta-lactamase inhibiting effect of clavulanic acid which makes this product effective against beta-lactamase & non-beta-lactamase producing organisms.

Cautions:

Clavamox should be administered to pets along with food. When mixed with water, the drops should be stored in refrigerator and the unused portion thrown away after 10 days. Contact your veterinarian if your pet experiences severe diarrhea that lasts longer than 3 days or has an allergic reaction (eg: shortness of breath, swelling of lips, tongue or face, rash or fainting). Clavamox should be administered for the duration directed by a veterinarian even if symptoms improve as they often show improvement before the infection is entirely treated. Inform your veterinarian if your pet is pregnant or nursing, or if you plan to breed your pet. Clavamox has not been tested in pets that are pregnant or used for breeding.

Precautions:

• Use is inadvisable in animals with history of allergic reaction to any of the penicillins or cephalosporins.
• CLAVAMOX contains a semisynthetic penicillin (amoxicillin) that has the potential for producing allergic reactions. If any allergic reaction occurs, administer epinephrine or steroids.
• Safety in pregnant or breeding animals has not been determined yet.
• Store in a dry and cool place at temperatures not above 25° C (77° F).
• Federal law restricts Clavamox to use by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian.

Clavamox combines amoxicillin with clavulanate potassium. Amoxicillin is an amino-penicillin considered to be a broad-spectrum penicillin. Amoxicillin has a wide range of activity against gram-negative aerobes (growth of bacteria in presence of air) and gram-negative anaerobes (growth of bacteria in absence of air). Clavulanate also called as clavulanic acid is a beta-lactamase inhibitor. Due to its action as an inhibitor of beta-lactamase production, it allows clavulanate to potentiate the effects of amoxicillin when the two are combined enhancing the drug’s efficacy compared with amoxicillin taken without clavulanate. Veterinarians often prescribe Clavamox to treat urinary tract infections, skin infections & other soft tissue infections in dogs & cats, particularly when the infections are caused by bacteria susceptible to the amoxicillin combined with clavulanate. Clavamox for Dogs is used for treating infections caused by gram-negative aerobic bacteria (E. coli, Klebsiella & Haemophilus) and gram-negative anaerobic bacteria (Clostridium). Its found to be effective in the treatment of the beta-lactamase resistant bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus. But its effectiveness against bacteria that are resistant to penicillinase-resistant penicillins like oxicillin is still not proven. Besides, its not considered to be effective against pseudomonas and enterobacter.

Dosage for Dogs:

The recommended dosage is 6.25 mg/lb of body weight twice a day. Skin & soft tissue infections such as abscesses, cellulitis, wounds, superficial/juvenile pyoderma & periodontal infections should be treated for 5-7 days or for 48 hours after all symptoms have subsided. If there’s no response seen after 5 days of treatment, therapy should be discontinued and case reevaluated. Deep pyoderma require treatment for 21 days; the maximum duration of treatment should not exceed 30 days.

Side Effects:

The most common side effects observed are gastrointestinal symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea & lack of appetite. Its advised that in such cases, avoid feeding your pet before administering the antibiotic since this may alleviate the symptoms. It has been observed that overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract can also occur in canine and feline patients when administered Clavamox leading to antibiotic-associated diarrhea. It is also found that hypersensitivity reactions occur when Clavamox is consumed. It may result in skin rash, fever, affected nodes, changes in blood count etc. Clavamox can seldom cause respiratory difficulties or fluctuation in heart rate.