What is Doxycycline?
Doxycycline is a tetracycline antibiotic that inhibits bacterial growth and is thought to have anti-inflammatory effects. Doxycycline is used for bacterial infections, including acne, rosacea, urinary and respiratory tract infections, eye infections, gum disease, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis. Doxycycline can also be used to prevent malaria and treat infections caused by mites, ticks, or lice.
Indications of Doxycycline in dogs and cats
Some Conditions Doxycycline is Prescribed to Treat in Dogs and Cats
- spirochetes (spiral-shaped bacteria)
- feline infectious anemia (Mycoplasma hemofelis)
- leptospira
- canine ehrlichiosis (anaplasmosis)
- kennel cough (bordetella bronchiseptica)
- toxoplasma (from a single-celled parasite)
- tick-borne diseases (Lyme Disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever)
- chlamydia
- canine parvovirus
- salmon poisoning (neorickettsia helminthoeca)
How Doxycycline Works in Dogs and Cats
Tetracycline antibiotic. Doxycycline reversibly binds to the receptor on the 30S subunit of bacterial ribosomes, interferes with the formation of ribosomal complexes between tRNA and mRNA, restricts the length of the skin chain and inhibits protein synthesis, thus the growth and reproduction rate of the fine zone is inhibited. Doxycycline has an inhibitory effect on both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and there is a cross-resistance with oxytetracycline and gentamycin, and it is also used in the treatment of the following bacteria: Gram-positive and gram-negative.
Side Effects of Doxycycline
Some common side effects may include but are not limited to:
- gastrointestinal effects (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea)
- photosensitivity (increased sensitivity to sunlight)
- loss of appetite
- Serious side effects may include:
- allergic reaction (skin rash, fever, facial swelling, or difficulty breathing)
- severe diarrhea or bloody stools
- liver toxicity