Expert: Jessica - 12/6/2010

Question
WHICH ANTIBIOTIC AND DOSAGE SHOULD BE USED FOR A 4YR OLD CAT WITH A URINARY TRACT INFECTION

Answer
Hi Michelle,

The vet is the best one to determine this.  Ideally, a culture should be done to determine which antibiotic the bacteria causing the infection are sensitive to.  In most cases, a good antibiotic like Clavamox (basically human Augmentin) or Zeniquin will cover you.  Some vets prefer Cefa-Drops (cefadroxil) as a first choice.  Occasionally, plain amoxicillin is used.

The dose will depend on how much your kitty weighs.  If your cat is around 10 pounds, then these are his likely doses:

+ 1 ml (or 50mg) of Clavamox twice a day. The preparation is somewhat important. The ratio of amoxicillin to clavulanate is 5:1. If you use Augmentin, there are preparations that range from ratios of 2:1 to 7:1, so bear this in mind.

+ 1/2 of a 25 mg tablet of Zeniquin once a day

+ 2 mls (or 100mg) of Cefa-Drops (cefadroxil) twice a day

+ 1 ml (or 50mg) of pink bubble gum flavored amoxicillin (prepared for veterinary use), twice a day.  However, amoxi comes in different strengths and preparations, and the ml dosage might be different depending on how the suspension is formulated.  The usual dosage for most infections in a 10-lb cat is 50mg twice a day.  So if the suspension contains 50 mg/ml, he should receive 1 ml twice a day.

Hope that helps out!

Jessica