Out of the hundreds of different types of medicines used to treat dogs, clindamycin is one of the most frequently prescribed. This drug is classified as an antibiotic, meaning that it helps to eliminate harmful bacteria that can or have already caused your pet an infection. It's important to treat infections promptly as they develop, as untended infections can spread throughout your pet's body and may eventually end up in a vital organ, where they can cause irreparable harm and even death.
Clindamycin Overview
Clindamycin is an antibiotic that is typically used to treat soft tissue infections. The soft tissues in your pet's body include his teeth, bones and other related systems. Because of its relatively limited scope, clindamycin is not used for general infections. There are other types of antibiotics that are better able to deal with susceptible bacteria in other types of infections. However, clindamycin is one of the leading prescription medicines that is used to treat infections of the soft tissues of your pet's body.
Clindamycin Use
Clindamycin is available only through a veterinary prescription. This means that you'll have to take your pet in to the vet's office to have him examined thoroughly before you can acquire the veterinary prescription necessary to purchase the clindamycin. If you notice any of the following symptoms of a soft tissue infection, visit your veterinarian immediately in order to quickly and properly diagnose your pet:
- Oral discharge or bleeding
- Difficulty eating
- Difficulty chewing and swallowing
- Vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Lethargy
- Difficulty moving around and sitting down
When giving your pet his dosage of clindamycin, you'll typically give it as an oral medicine. This means that it can either be ground up and mixed in with his food, or you can give it to him in tablet form along with a treat. In most cases, the dose of the medicine will be dependent upon the condition that is affecting your dog as well as your pet's health overall, his age and his weight.
As with other antibiotics, it's important that you continue your dog's treatment program of clindamycin for the entire duration of the regimen. Stopping before you've completed the dosage may leave him even more susceptible to return infection.
Clindamycin Risks
There are few side effects and risks for giving your pet clindamycin. One of the more serious is an allergic reaction. Certain dogs will have immediate allergic reactions to antibiotics like clindamycin. Watch out for difficulty breathing, coughing, wheezing and any other signs that your pet may be suffering from some sort of an allergic reaction.
Another less serious potential consequence of taking clindamycin for your pet is that he may begin to have diarrhea. Clindamycin has been known to cause diarrhea, and it's not unheard of for your pet to begin to experience bloody diarrhea as a result of this medicine. If this is the case, consult with your veterinarian immediately to determine the proper course of action for your pet.