Antibiotics for cats are sometimes needed to fight a bacterial infection in your kitty, however, the overuse of antibiotics is concerning. Antibiotic overuse can result in the creation of antibiotic resistant bacteria strains. Oftentimes, antibiotics are prescribed to our kitties as a precaution.
When a cat or a dog has a bacterial infection, antibiotics are sometimes needed to clear it up. They can actually save the animals life. I know this first hand because my Great Dane Ava is prone to pneumonia and we almost lost her last week. If it wasn’t for antibiotics, she wouldn’t be with us today, I’m sure of it. She is getting close to finishing up her antibiotic prescription and if history repeats itself, she will probably get this again at some point. Once this infection is cleared up however, I would not consider leaving her on antibiotics as a precautionary measure.
Here’s why.
Yes, antibiotics for cats kill the bad bacteria which is a lovely thing. But see, the antibiotic doesn’t just go in and know which bacteria is bad and just kill it, it attacks ALL bacteria, good and bad. Why is this an issue? Our cats, just like us, need good bacteria. When all the good bacteria in the gut is killed off, that leaves our precious kitties open for other issues. This lowers their immune system so they are at higher risk for more infections, cancer as well as GI issues.
It can take up to 16 months to rebuild the good bacteria in the gut from just one round of antibiotics! That’s crazy!!! So what can we do if our cat needs to go on a round of antibiotics? We need to get high quality probiotics! You can start giving the probiotics while your kitty is getting the antibiotic, just not in the same meal. Remember the antibiotics kill both good and bad bacteria so you want to give at different times. Give at least 4 to 5 hours apart. Once your cat is done with the antibiotics, keep them on the probiotics for at least a year but I would suggest to keep them on them forever, they are so good for their health!
Side note:
Our Vira-X is the ONLY thing that has helped keep Ava’s flare ups at bay for the longest time. I made the mistake of stopping giving it to her because I thought she was all better…and the pneumonia came back.
If you want to use something as a precautionary measure, consider giving our Vira-X or using our CATalyst Wellness Kit and only use antibiotics if your cat has a confirmed bacterial infection. And remember to keep those probiotics (good bacteria) built up strong!
Vira-X For Cats (and dogs)
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