How long does it take for antibiotics to work?
Posted on September 07th, 2008 in Answers
loveismyfavoritecolor asked:
I took my dog to the vet almost 2 days ago and my pet got an antibiotic shot and some pills to take at home. He is still very weak and I think he still has a fever. He is finally eating but I am so worried about my darling that I haven't slept in days. I wasn't sure if the antibiotics were working because he does not yet feel better. How long do they usually take to get rid of a bacterial infection? Am I overreacting?
I took my dog to the vet almost 2 days ago and my pet got an antibiotic shot and some pills to take at home. He is still very weak and I think he still has a fever. He is finally eating but I am so worried about my darling that I haven't slept in days. I wasn't sure if the antibiotics were working because he does not yet feel better. How long do they usually take to get rid of a bacterial infection? Am I overreacting?
This post has 4 comments
September 8th, 2008
If your dog gets worse over the weekend, call the vet or go to an emergency vet. If he is not substantially better by Monday, call first thing on Monday morning. Things usually start improving substantially in 2-3 days.
September 11th, 2008
If he is finally eating he is feeling better. It takes at least 4 days for the antibiotics to get into the system and do their job. I have had some of my dogs on meds for 2 weeks before the problem cleared up.
As long as your dog is making progress of some sort every day, you are okay. If he stops eating, get back to the vet.
September 12th, 2008
Usually three days before the antibiotics kick in completely. They work gradually so the first two days you never see improvement, it’s only by the third day that the stuff is fully functioning.
September 13th, 2008
It will depend on how well established the infection is, the size and weight of your dog, and how resistant the bacteria is. Your vet probably knows what he’s doing, so have a little patience. If your dog isn’t doing better when the pills run out, then ask another vet to take a look at him, but you said your dog is already regaining his appetite, so that’s a good sign he’s recovering. It’ll take a while if he hasn’t been eating for a while. You may be overreacting just a bit.
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