Oxytetracycline

Oxytetracycline In Dogs & Cats: Uses, Dosage and Side Effects

Overview

• Time-dependent antimicrobial agent inhibiting protein synthesis by inhibiting the 30S ribosomal subunit in bacteria.

Uses of Oxytetracycline

• Exhibits activity against a wide range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, rickettsiae, mycoplasmas, spirochaetes, and other microbes.
• Characterized by lower lipid solubility compared to other tetracyclines.
• It is excreted unchanged in both urine and bile.
• Undergoes enterohepatic recirculation.
• Used in combination with nicotinamide for managing immune-mediated conditions like discoid lupus erythematosus and lupoid onychodystrophy.
• Resistance to tetracyclines is widespread.

Dose of Oxytetracycline in Dogs and Cats

Dogs:

• 10 mg/kg i.m., s.c. q24h; 50 mg/kg loading dose, then 25 mg/ kg p.o. q12h for up to 5 days.
• Give oral dose on an empty stomach.

Cats:

• 10 mg/kg i.m., s.c. q24h.

Side Effects of Oxytetracycline in Dogs and Cats

• Vomiting, diarrhoea, depression, rare instances of hepatotoxicity, fever, hypotension (especially after intravenous administration), and anorexia in cats.
• Prolonged use of tetracyclines may contribute to the development of superinfections.
• Oral tetracyclines can lead to gastrointestinal disturbances.
• While not extensively documented in veterinary medicine, tetracyclines can induce dose-dependent functional changes in renal tubules across various species. This effect may be intensified by factors like dehydration, haemoglobinuria, myoglobinuria, or concurrent use of other nephrotoxic drugs.
• Severe tubular damage has been reported with the use of outdated or improperly stored tetracycline products, resulting from forming a degradation product.
• Tetracyclines can stain children’s teeth if used in the final 2–3 weeks of pregnancy or the first month of life. While this phenomenon is not extensively documented in animals, it has been observed in dogs, warranting caution in the use of tetracyclines in young animals.

Contraindications of Oxytetracycline in Dogs and Cats

• The concentrated injectable depot formulations used for cattle and sheep should never be given to small animals.
• Only use in cats when no other agent is suitable.

Some Notes:

• The bactericidal effectiveness of penicillins can be hindered by oxytetracycline.
• Antacids containing divalent or trivalent cations (such as Mg2+, Ca2+, Al3+), as well as food or milk products, can bind to tetracycline, diminishing its absorption.
• Tetracyclines have the potential to enhance the nephrotoxic effects of methoxyflurane.
• Concurrent administration of theophylline products with tetracyclines may amplify the gastrointestinal effects of tetracyclines.