Lincomycin
“This page provides important general information for pet owners whose animals have been prescribed Lincomycin for pets during a consultation by Dr Noor.”
(lin-koe-mye-sin)
Description:
This medicine is an antibiotic (a drug used to treat infections caused by germs).
Other Names for this Medication:
- Lincocin®
- Lincomix®
Common Dosage Forms:
- Veterinary:
- oral liquid (suspension) 50 mg/mL
- injectable liquid (solution) 25 mg/mL, 50 mg/mL, 100 mg/mL, and 300 mg/mL
- powder packets 40 g
- Compounded capsules (custom-made by a pharmacy) may be available.
- Human:
- injectable liquid (solution) 300 mg/mL
Antimicrobial Classification:
Highly Important
This information page does not include every detail that exists for this medicine and it has not been reviewed by the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine. It is meant to help with common questions, but it does not replace medical advice. If you need more details or have questions about this medicine, contact your veterinarian or pharmacist.
Key Information for Lincomycin for pets
- Used to treat infections involving the skin, wounds, and bone.
- Do not give this medicine to horses, rabbits, mice, rats, hamsters, guinea pigs, cattle, sheep, goats, or deer, because it can lead to severe diarrhea that may be deadly.
- May be given with food or without food. Do not give a pill without following it with something to swallow (“dry pilling”), because this can cause burns in the throat. After giving a pill, give a small amount of food or water (about one teaspoon).
- This medicine tastes very bitter. You may need to hide it in food so your pet will take it.
How is this medication useful?
Lincomycin can cause more unwanted effects than clindamycin, so it is not used as often now.
You and your veterinarian can talk about why lincomycin is the best option in your pet’s situation.
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. Talk with your veterinarian about the points below so you can make treatment choices together.
- Other medicines can affect this medicine. Tell your veterinarian and pharmacist about everything your animal receives, including 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 the same illness or problem before, tell your veterinarian what was used to treat it and whether it worked well or did not work.
- If your animal is pregnant or nursing, discuss the possible risks of using this medicine. Babies nursing from a mother receiving this medicine may develop diarrhea.
- Tell your veterinarian and pharmacist about any past side effects your animal has had from medicines, including allergic reactions, not wanting to eat, 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. Even so, you may not be able to see changes right away.
- Your animal should start to seem better within 1 to 2 days.
- This medicine does not last long in the body. It usually stops working within 24 hours. However, 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.
This drug SHOULD NOT be used in:
If your animal has any of the issues listed below, talk with your veterinarian about the possible benefits compared with the possible risks.
- Animals that have an allergy to this medicine or to similar medicines (for example, clindamycin).
- Horses, rabbits, mice, hamsters, rats, chinchillas, guinea pigs, cattle, sheep, goats, and deer.
- Animals with candidiasis (a yeast/fungal infection).
This drug should be used WITH CAUTION in patients:
- That have liver or kidney problems.
- That are very young.
What are the side effects of this medication?
Side effects that usually are not serious include:
If you notice the signs below, you usually do not need to be highly worried unless they are severe, get worse, or do not go away. If that happens, contact your veterinarian.
- Vomiting, loose stool/diarrhea, and stomach upset.
- Drooling and repeated mouth movements like lip smacking (especially in cats) after giving it by mouth.
Side effects that may be serious or indicate a serious problem:
If you notice any of the signs below, contact your veterinarian right away.
- Diarrhea with blood.
- Difficulty swallowing and not wanting to eat because the medicine caused burns or sores in the throat.
- Not wanting to eat.
- Yellow color of the skin, gums, or the whites of the eyes (jaundice).
If my animal gets too much of this medication (an overdose), what should I do?
If you see an overdose happen, or you think it may have happened, contact your veterinarian or an animal poison control center for instructions.
How should this medication be given?
- To help this medicine work correctly, give it exactly the way your veterinarian directed.
- It is helpful to read the prescription label each time so you confirm you are giving it the right way.
By mouth:
- This medicine can be given with food or without food. However, after giving a pill, always follow it with a small amount of food or about one teaspoon of water. This helps make sure the capsule does not stick in the throat on the way down to the stomach.
- If your animal vomits or seems unwell after getting the medicine on an empty stomach, give the next dose with food or a small treat.
- If vomiting continues, contact your veterinarian.
- Liquid versions must be measured accurately. Your veterinarian or pharmacist can provide special spoons or dosing syringes.
- Cats often dislike the taste of the liquid form and may drool and lip smack a lot after receiving it.
- If giving the medicine is difficult, contact your veterinarian or pharmacist for advice on how to dose and how to reduce stress during dosing.
By Injection:
Your veterinarian or pharmacist will provide what you need to give injections (needles and syringes).
If the medicine must be mixed before use, mix it exactly as your veterinarian or pharmacist tells you.
Because this medicine is given by injection, make sure you understand the correct dose, where to give the injection(s), and the correct way to give them.
Use a fresh needle and a fresh syringe for every injection. Do not use needles or syringes again.
When drawing doses from the vial, it is important to avoid pressure building up inside the vial. Your veterinarian or pharmacist will show you how to remove each dose so the medicine does not spray out.
Injections may sting. If your animal reacts strongly, your veterinarian may be able to provide something to combine with the medicine to reduce stinging.
Right after use, put used needles and syringes into a sharps container. Your veterinarian or pharmacist can help you get these containers.
Avoid accidentally poking yourself. Do not try to separate the needle from the syringe.
Keep sharps containers away from children and animals.
When the container is about three-quarters full, dispose of it following your local rules.
This medicine may be prescribed for different lengths of time.
Make sure you clearly understand how long your veterinarian wants your animal to keep taking it.
You may need prescription refills before the full treatment course is finished.
Do not stop this medicine without speaking with your veterinarian, 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 regular time.
- Then continue with the normal schedule.
- Do not give two doses at once and do not give extra doses.
How should I store this medication?
- Keep this medicine in its original container (the vial or prescription bottle) or in an approved dose reminder container (such as a pill organizer).
- Store at room temperature and keep it protected from light.
- If your veterinarian or pharmacist prepared a custom-made (compounded) form for your animal, follow the storage directions and the expiration date provided for that product.
- Store where children and other animals cannot reach 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.
- Wash your hands after you handle any medicine.
How should I dispose of this medication if I don’t use it all?
- Do not put this medicine into the toilet and do not pour it into a sink drain.
- If your community has a medicine take-back program, use that option.
- If there is no take-back program, combine the medicine with coffee grounds or cat litter so it is unattractive to children and animals and not recognizable to people who might search trash.
- Put that mixture into a sealable plastic bag to prevent leaks.
- Throw the sealed bag into your regular trash.
- Do not keep leftover medicine to use later, and do not give it to anyone else.
What other information is important for this medication?
- This medicine may be prohibited in some animal competitions.
- Before entering your animal in a competition while your animal is receiving this medicine, check the rules.
- 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.”