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Originally Posted by YorkieGirl224  Well, the only reason I put him back on the antibiotics is because it's the same symptoms that he had last time. Right now he's kinda starting to run around, he's not playing with his toys quite yet, but there is some improvement.
Im not sure if the vet ran a complete blood coount, I'll have to call and find out. but what do I do now? Even though he seems like he is getting better should I stop the meds and do another blood test? |
Antibiotics work by killing bacteria that cause the infection. The doctor or vet gives you enough antibiotics to kill all the bacteria, and then some. However, many people see a dramatic improvement within three days and stop the antibiotics. Antibiotics are not like a pain medication, that you stop when the pain goes away; you have to continue the full treatment until the bottle is empty. If you stop the antibiotics too soon, some bacteria will survive, not enough that there will be symptoms of infection right away, but enough to grow and multiply. The new bacteria will be stronger than the old bacteria, because they will be slightly immune to the antibiotics, and as they grow and multiply, a new strain or "super" bacteria can develop that another dose of the same type of antibiotic won't even kill. This is why it's always important to use the whole bottle. Many humans have been doing this, and they aren't only hurting themselves, but they are hurting everyone by helping to create these super bugs. Doctors have had to use stronger and stronger antibiotics because of this, and are very concerned about bacteria being created that they cannot destroy. I'm not sure why the vet gave the antibiotics to your dog in the first place, but he needs to be rechecked, and you need to tell him when you gave the last dose of antibiotics.