Oxytetracycline
“This page provides important general information for pet owners whose animals have been prescribed Oxytetracycline in Perth during a consultation by Dr Noor.”
Oxytetracycline for pets
(ocks-ee-tet-ra-sye-kleen)
Description:
This medicine is an antibiotic in the tetracycline family.
Other Names for this Medication:
- Terramycin®
- Pennox®
- LA-200®
Common Dosage Forms:
- For animals:
- tablets that contain 250 mg
- injectable liquid that comes as 50 mg/mL, 100 mg/mL, 200 mg/mL, and 300 mg/mL
- For people:
- none
Antimicrobial Classification:
Highly Important
Key Information
- When oxytetracycline is given by mouth, it should be given when the stomach is empty. Keep it separated from food, milk, other dairy foods, and minerals (such as calcium or iron) by 1 to 2 hours. If your animal throws up or seems unwell when it is given on an empty stomach, try giving it with food or a small treat to see if that reduces the problem. If vomiting does not stop, contact your veterinarian.
- In young animals, this medicine can cause lasting discoloration of teeth and can affect bones that are still forming.
- This medicine can make skin more likely to burn in sunlight. This is most noticeable on areas without much hair, such as the nose and the skin around the eyelids and ears. Tell your veterinarian if you see redness or sunburn-like changes while your animal is taking this medicine.
- Shots (injectable forms) can hurt when given and can leave staining in muscle and on the skin.
What should I tell my veterinarian to see if this medication can be safely given?
Many different factors can change how well this medicine works for your animal. Make sure you and your veterinarian talk about the points below so you can make the best choices together.
- Some medicines do not mix well with this one. Tell your veterinarian and pharmacist about everything your animal gets, including medicines, vitamins, supplements, and herbal products. Also share how much you give and when you give each one.
- Tell your veterinarian about any health problems your animal has now, or has had before.
- If your animal has had treatment in the past for the same illness or problem, tell your veterinarian what was used and whether it helped or did not help.
- If your animal is pregnant or nursing, discuss the possible risks of using this medicine.
- Tell your veterinarian and pharmacist if your animal has ever had medicine-related problems before, including side effects such as allergic reactions, poor appetite, diarrhea, itching, or hair loss.
How long until I will know if this medication is working, and how long will the effects of this medication last?
This medicine should begin to act within 1 to 2 hours, but you may not be able to see the effects directly. Your animal should start to seem better within 1 to 2 days. The medicine does not last long in the body, meaning it stops working within 24 hours, although the helpful effects may last longer if your animal’s kidneys and/or liver are not working as well.
When should this medication not be used or be used very carefully?
No medicine is completely safe for every patient. Your veterinarian will talk with you about any concerns that apply to your animal.
If your animal fits any of the situations below, talk with your veterinarian about the possible risks compared with the possible benefits.
- Animals that have an allergy to this medicine or to other tetracycline-family medicines.
- Animals that are pregnant or nursing, unless the benefit to the mother is greater than the risk to the young.
- Animals with liver or kidney problems.
- Young animals whose teeth and bones are still developing.
What are the side effects of this medication?
Side effects that are usually not serious include:
If you notice the signs listed below, you usually do not need to be highly worried unless the signs are severe, get worse, or do not go away. If that happens, contact your veterinarian.
- Upset stomach, reduced appetite, and loose stool/diarrhea.
- Redness on areas of skin without much hair after being in sunlight.
Side effects that may be serious or indicate a serious problem:
If you notice any of the signs below, contact your veterinarian right away.
- Unusual tiredness, weakness, or signs of infection (for example, a high fever). This may mean the bone marrow is not working normally.
- Liver damage. Possible signs include:
- vomiting
- severe diarrhea or diarrhea with blood
- not wanting to eat
- yellow color in the eyes, skin, or gums
- a sore or painful belly
- bleeding
- seizures (convulsions)
- major behavior changes
If my animal gets too much of this medication (an overdose), what should I do?
If you see an overdose happen, or you think one may have happened, contact your veterinarian for instructions.
How should this medication be given?
For this medicine to work properly, give it exactly the way your veterinarian prescribed it. It is also a good habit to read the prescription label so you confirm you are giving it correctly.
If your animal is taking this medicine by mouth, give it when the stomach is empty. Keep it 1 to 2 hours away from food, milk or other dairy foods, and minerals such as iron or calcium. If your animal vomits or seems unwell when it is given on an empty stomach, you can try giving it with food or a small treat to see if that helps, but doing so may reduce how well the medicine works. If vomiting continues, contact your veterinarian.
If your animal is using a specially made (compounded) liquid form, measure the dose with care. Your veterinarian or pharmacist can provide special spoons or dosing syringes to help you measure correctly.
If giving the medicine is difficult, contact your veterinarian or pharmacist for ideas on how to give the dose and make medication time less stressful.
By Injection.
- Your veterinarian or pharmacist will supply what you need to give injections (such as needles and syringes). If the medicine must be mixed before use, mix it exactly the way your veterinarian or pharmacist tells you.
- Use a fresh needle and a fresh syringe for every injection. Do not use needles or syringes again.
- Since this medicine is given as a shot, make sure you fully understand the dose, where to give it, and how to give it.
- Shots of this medicine can be painful and can discolor the skin and muscle where it is injected. Your veterinarian will tell you the correct amount for your animal and will teach you how and where to give it. Make sure you understand these directions completely.
- Before you handle needles, syringes, or the medicine bottle, wash your hands.
- Turn the bottle and syringe upside down. Keep the needle tip in the liquid and pull back the plunger to draw up the correct amount.
- Before you take the needle out of the bottle, look for air bubbles in the syringe. If you see bubbles, hold the syringe upright and tap the side so the bubbles rise to the top. Push the bubbles out using the plunger, then draw up the correct amount again. Then remove the needle from the bottle, taking care not to poke yourself.
- Give the injection to your animal exactly as your veterinarian instructed.
- Right after use, place used needles and syringes into a sharps container. Your veterinarian or pharmacist can help you get these containers. Avoid accidental needle sticks. Do not try to separate the needle from the syringe. Keep the container where children and animals cannot reach it. When the container is about three-quarters full, dispose of it following your local rules. Ask your local trash service or health department about disposal options in your area.
This medicine may need to be given for different lengths of time depending on the situation. Make sure you know how long your veterinarian wants your animal to keep taking it. You may need prescription refills before the full course is finished. Do not stop this medicine without speaking with your veterinarian first, because there may be important reasons to continue.
What should I do if I miss giving a dose of this medication?
If you forget a dose, give it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, do not give the missed dose; instead, give the next dose at the normal time. Then continue with the usual schedule. Do not give two doses at once and do not give extra doses.
How should I store this medication?
- Keep oral forms in the original prescription container or in an approved dose reminder container (such as a pill organizer). Store at room temperature and keep it protected from light.
- Keep injectable liquids at room temperature and do not freeze them.
- If your veterinarian or pharmacist prepared a special (compounded) version for your animal, follow the storage directions and the expiration date provided for that product.
- Store this medicine where children and other animals cannot access it.
Can handling this medication be hazardous to me, my family, or other animals?
No special handling steps are needed unless you are allergic to this medicine. After you handle any medicine, wash your hands.
How should I dispose of this medication if I don’t use it all?
- Do not put this medicine into the toilet or pour it into a sink drain.
- If your community has a medicine take-back program, use that.
- If there is no take-back option, combine the medicine with coffee grounds or cat litter so it is unattractive to children and animals and not recognizable to someone searching through trash.
- Put that mixture into a sealable plastic bag so it will not leak, and place it in the household trash.
Do not keep extra medicine for later use, and do not give it to anyone else.
What other information is important for this medication?
- In some animal competitions, using this medicine may not be permitted. Check the rules before entering your animal in a competition while your animal is receiving this medicine.
- If you have more questions about this medicine, contact your veterinarian or pharmacist.
“Disclaimer: The information on this page is provided as general educational material only. Every animal’s health situation is unique, and treatment decisions must be based on a full veterinary assessment. Always follow the specific instructions given during your consultation, and contact the prescribing veterinarian if you have any concerns.”