Is using fish antibiotics on feral cats safe/ok or idiotic?

[herekittycat]

I had a feral cat TNRed mid september, and in addition to frontline, a rabies vaccine, and the 3-1 fvcrp or w/e, he got the convenia shot and some dissolvable stitches for a wound/abscess that was partially left open too. Around 5cm. I dewormed him with drontal yesterday (I think he ate only part of the dose, darn it...I tried). It looks like the infection began to heal but we're in the third week and it still isn't all the way healed, and is open. I was instructed to only keep him inside for one week in a crate. He is really trap averse now obviously, this is the main reason motivating doing things myself. I regret letting him out and feel this advice was based on the fact that this cat was full blown wild. I feel very responsible for him, as he comes to eat here daily and nightly now.

Does anyone here have any experience where they *told a vet or vet tech* that they used it and the vet didn't seem concerned? I would like to trap him again and take him in but if I can't, am I putting the cat in danger by dosing him with something like this? MIDLAND VET SERVICES Aqua-Mox Amoxicillin Fish Antibiotic, 100 count - Chewy.com I keep reading about people using this with success but have not been able to find a single professional that has publicly commented. I am interested in your own experience too. I have seen posts on facebook where they say this is a god send, but I did see one post in which someone accidentally killed their cat.

I do not live in a state in which it is legal for a vet to give me a prescription online. I took him to a feral cat hub of some sorts, where its like a kitty factory and they neuter them all, vaccinate them, and then give them care for what they can if they have the tools, like this kitty got for the wound on his back. It is not a facility that engages in ongoing care so calling and asking for a prescription isn't a thing. I have to find a vet that will take a feral kitty but also I have to get a drop trap now probably. I'm concerned I won't be able to trap him. He is nobody's cat but he is an appreciated friend to many in my neighborhood.

Thinking as I type would any meds work period if he hasn't been fully dewormed? Sorry for turning my post into multiple questions. Thanks for any input or experience you guys have.

 

[StefanZ]

In short. I know some people do it, it was discussed some here several years ago.. Especielly among rescuers, because its cheap and its what they do afford. The problem is dosage. Of this I dont know nothing. Next problem is, different drugs are suitable for different bacterias.
But if you get some advice, perhaps from a Merckx sheet and or the label, the drug as such should be OK to use

 

[di and bob]

Amoxicillin is the same everywhere, you would have to find out what milligram, mg, it is and how much to give by weight.. An average cat weighs around 10lbs, or see if the vet weighed him. An open wound on a unneutered cat is NOT unusual, it is almost positively an abscess caused by an attack or fighting with another tom. These remain open for LONG time, they are actually supposed to be that way in order to drain. I have seen them take months to heal, most often many weeks. As long as it hasn't closed up and is beginning to swell up with infection again, he should be OK. An antibiotic would help heal it faster, but I have had many ferals heal completely on their own. You could call the original vet that neutered him, they should know about the wound, and see if they would give you an antibiotic without him coming in, make sure you remind them he is feral and cannot be trapped. Unless the wound is getting swollen or worse, he should heal in a few weeks. All the luck! PS the good news is, you have given him a MUCH better life. The fighting should cease now that he has been neutered, the urge to fight has lessened. I have seen big toms completely ignore the neutered guys. Not attack immediately like they usually do.

 

[Jcatbird]

I live in an area that is often cut off during storms and I keep some for “emergencies” but have not had to use it. As mentioned above, open wounds are often slow in closing. They need to drain. If you know this cat is one you hope to have in your life then I can tell you that even some of my “most feral” colony cats did socialize. Many were trap savvy and one seemed to be a Houdini in that he could eat in the trap and never tripped it! However, I found that spending time just letting him get to know me, trust me and understand that I was not a threat worked to bring him inside voluntarily. It still took more time to be able to have direct contact but he became a complete lover and lap cat. Even old ferals can socialize. Not all become lap cats but if you desire to have him back where you can access him for care, it is possible to build a lasting bond with him. It is a process but many here have done it. All of the kitties with me were once ferals. Keep up a routine with him and bravo for all you have already done for him! If there are any rescue groups near you then they may be able to assist you if he needs medicine. They often have a vet who will work with them. Networking Locally can make all the difference when we work to do TNR or rescues. Please do keep us updated. Does he have a name?

 

[herekittycat]

Amoxicillin is the same everywhere, you would have to find out what milligram, mg, it is and how much to give by weight.. An average cat weighs around 10lbs, or see if the vet weighed him. An open wound on a unneutered cat is NOT unusual, it is almost positively an abscess caused by an attack or fighting with another tom. These remain open for LONG time, they are actually supposed to be that way in order to drain. I have seen them take months to heal, most often many weeks. As long as it hasn't closed up and is beginning to swell up with infection again, he should be OK. An antibiotic would help heal it faster, but I have had many ferals heal completely on their own. You could call the original vet that neutered him, they should know about the wound, and see if they would give you an antibiotic without him coming in, make sure you remind them he is feral and cannot be trapped. Unless the wound is getting swollen or worse, he should heal in a few weeks. All the luck! PS the good news is, you have given him a MUCH better life. The fighting should cease now that he has been neutered, the urge to fight has lessened. I have seen big toms completely ignore the neutered guys. Not attack immediately like they usually do.

This was informative , thank you! It is significantly smaller and hasn’t swelled or become infected looking again, knock on wood! I’m just going to keep an eye on it for now.

 

[TiffanyRose]

Hi, I know this thread is old but I still wanted to share my experience in case anyone else comes across this with the same questions and concerns. I take care of multiple stray/ferals in my neighborhood, my own clowder of adopted cats and have rescued 25+ others. At one point my husband and I were not able to afford a vet trip for a couple of the male ferals who had not been neutered who showed up very injured. These 2 would not let me touch them and they were very smart and I wasn't able to trap them. I was desperate to help so I did a deep dive on ways to help them and came across quite a few other rescuers that used it for colony type situations and places where there were a lot of cats and not enough resources.
I want to stress that I am not a medical professional, I am in no way endorsing or advising using off label anything to treat anything. I am simply sharing an opinion, sharing information that I have seen online that have been shared by others who were in similar situations and my own personal experience. What you or anyone else does with the information is entirely up to you.
So we had 2 feral cats with abscesses from fighting, very infected, one had a pretty bad injury by his eye as well. After careful reading I was able to find someone who shared a ratio that had been used in their situation that they had success with. I took that information and applied it to this situation.
This specifically for the 250mg powder capsules of Aqua-max-amoxoicillian, It was stated to open and put one of those caps into a small screw top bottle or jar. Add in 10ml of bottled water. Shake it like crazy. If you can leave it over night, that's best because it takes a bit to incorporate. Must be refrigerated. Shake well before each use.
Vets generally prescribe 5mg-10mg per pound of cat. using the above ratios, it comes out to 25mg mox, per 1ml liquid dose. Most of the droppers/plastic syringes they give you at the vet for oral meds are a total of 1ml. Make sure you look at all the measurements carefully. I always start conservative, less is more sometimes. 5mg per pound of cat seems to work well enough and gives a little leeway if your dosing is off a bit. Sometimes the powder doesn't mix entirely, just make sure you shake it well before drawing any out.
So for example, the cats I was speaking of got 1ml of the liquid mix, 2 times a day. I just put it on their wet food, didn't even have to mix it but you could cover it with a bit more wet food if they won't eat it. This dosing is for 7 days. I also throw on some CBD pet oil if they seem to be not feeling too good. This helps them sleep more and is also an anti inflammatory and rest helps them heal faster. I have saved multiple lives with this regimen. It's has helped heal multiple abscesses, hurt foots, wounded eyes, larger cuts and scratches, colds and various other feral cats probs that pop up. In my personal experience all of the ferals did not have any issues with the mox. I used the lower dosing to be safe.
To recap, 250mg capsule + 10ml of bottled water. Shake well, leave refrigerated overnight if possible. Shake before each use. Keep in fridge. 25mg mox per 1ml of mix. 5-10mg per pound of cat. Dose is 2 times a day for 7 days.
Again, I am not a medical professional, I am not giving medical advice, I am sharing information that is readily available online from many sources, which is where I gathered it and my own personal experience. What you choose to do with this information that again, is available from many other online sources, is entirely up to you and your discretion. Feel free to ask any questions if you have any. Working with Ferals is hard work and can be tricky. Hopefully you and success with yours.

 

[di and bob]

Thank you so much for the information. People would just have to be VERY careful about the dosage amount. Most say that for cats over a certain weight, it is all the same dosage. There are so many now that can't afford to go to a vet, or don't have a cat that is not stressed out with visits. Thank you for the info!

 

[TiffanyRose]

Absolutely! That's why I made sure to write multiple times the 5mg-10mg per pound of cat and that using the smaller dosage is probably better and safer and still affective in my experience. Even a small amount could be the difference between a cat living or not from an infection. I was worried about dosing too but there's a lot of threads like this one out there. A lot of folks sharing experience and starting with the lower dose was said to be lower risk. To me it was better than doing nothing.
Where I live is rural and low income and I know many of us struggle to get to the vet when we need to or people have rescues and can't get them all to the vet. It's getting more expensive everyday and if this can save any cats life it's worth it. Especially with strays and Ferals that can't be handled it's even more important to have options.

 

[price053]

I had a feral cat TNRed mid september, and in addition to frontline, a rabies vaccine, and the 3-1 fvcrp or w/e, he got the convenia shot and some dissolvable stitches for a wound/abscess that was partially left open too. Around 5cm. I dewormed him with drontal yesterday (I think he ate only part of the dose, darn it...I tried). It looks like the infection began to heal but we're in the third week and it still isn't all the way healed, and is open. I was instructed to only keep him inside for one week in a crate. He is really trap averse now obviously, this is the main reason motivating doing things myself. I regret letting him out and feel this advice was based on the fact that this cat was full blown wild. I feel very responsible for him, as he comes to eat here daily and nightly now.

Does anyone here have any experience where they *told a vet or vet tech* that they used it and the vet didn't seem concerned? I would like to trap him again and take him in but if I can't, am I putting the cat in danger by dosing him with something like this? MIDLAND VET SERVICES Aqua-Mox Amoxicillin Fish Antibiotic, 100 count - Chewy.com I keep reading about people using this with success but have not been able to find a single professional that has publicly commented. I am interested in your own experience too. I have seen posts on facebook where they say this is a god send, but I did see one post in which someone accidentally killed their cat.

I do not live in a state in which it is legal for a vet to give me a prescription online. I took him to a feral cat hub of some sorts, where its like a kitty factory and they neuter them all, vaccinate them, and then give them care for what they can if they have the tools, like this kitty got for the wound on his back. It is not a facility that engages in ongoing care so calling and asking for a prescription isn't a thing. I have to find a vet that will take a feral kitty but also I have to get a drop trap now probably. I'm concerned I won't be able to trap him. He is nobody's cat but he is an appreciated friend to many in my neighborhood.

Thinking as I type would any meds work period if he hasn't been fully dewormed? Sorry for turning my post into multiple questions. Thanks for any input or experience you guys have.

I have used it in the past on my stray male cat who would always come home with bite marks before I could get him fixed, I have never had any side affects from using it myself. I use to keep it on hand for emergencies. There are a of rescues that use it because they have to treat right away some times. It is normally given in a 7 day dose .. Not sure if this info helps but I hope it does.

 

[backwoodsvet]

I use Amox on U.T.I.'s mostly which seems like every couple years around here, and I've used it on wound infection a few times along the way, this is what I've learned, Amox in capsule form comes in 250 and 500mg, I buy 250mg cut it in half 125mg, mix that in with wet food (taste masking needed)for 10 days, this will kill any U.T.I....Direct contact on wounds with Terramycin is better choice on wounds but Amox is quite helpful there also....................