# How long does it take for antibiotics to take effect?



## WhiteKitties

Just curious if anyone knows how long it takes for Clavamox to have an effect - I started Fergie on it Wednesday morning, have seen some small improvement, but read somewhere that I need to wait 4-5 days for it to really make a difference? I think it took about that long for steady improvement in Fern for the same problem, but I can't remember exactly.


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## Heidi n Q

When The Black Cat had a terrible upper respiratory infection I noticed a difference w/in a day (_no stinky death-breath_) but it was at least 3 days before I noticed him able to breathe through his nose instead of his mouth.


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## laurief

If I remember correctly, you had Fergie on Clavamox for a few days, then quit giving it to her, and now have her on it again, right? If that's the case, any bacteria that was in her system the first time around has now had a chance to develop a resistance to Clavamox (which is why you should NEVER quit antibiotic treatment midstream). So it's possible that Clavamox may not be effective against her current infection, assuming an infection has been verified at all. If there is an infection and if the infective organism is still susceptible to Clavamox, it could take 3 weeks or longer on the med to resolve the problem. Some UTI's burrow deep into the urinary tract tissues where it can take considerable time for the antibiotic to reach.

The majority of urinary problems, however, are NOT associated with any type of infection. Idiopathic cystitis (urinary tract inflammation of unknown cause) is much more common and will not be helped by any antibiotic. Glucosamine is apparently effective in some of these cases, though I've never tried it on my own animals. There is also an OTC product called UT Strength that some vets recommend for afflicted cats. It is available through some pet supply catalogs and websites including the following: http://www.kvvet.com

I hope this issue can be resolved for Fergie.

Laurie


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## WhiteKitties

laurief said:


> If I remember correctly, you had Fergie on Clavamox for a few days, then quit giving it to her, and now have her on it again, right?
> Laurie


Nope, I just started it Wednesday morning, and she'll get it for about ten days with the extra that my shelter mom was able to give me, as long as we're able to keep giving it to her - she's awful to medicate whether it's liquid or pill, and it gets harder every day. I'm really just trying to figure out how long I should wait before I take her to the vet if I'm not seeing improvement.


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## laurief

Unfortunately, if you take her to the vet after having been giving her Clavamox, any UA or urinary culture that your vet may run may not identify any bacteria because of the Clavamox. That does not, however, necessarily mean that there is no infection present ... or that there is. I don't think the tests will be able to produce reliable results either way because of the Clavamox already in her system. You should ask your vet about that before having her tested for UTI.

If, however, your vet wants to test her for urinary crystals or for bladder or kidney stones, those shouldn't be affected by the Clavamox at all.

Laurie


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## QuinnCat

I wouldn't know... the only time I've had a cat on Clavamox, she reacted SO badly to it that the vet advised me to stop the treatment. But best wishes for Fergie's quick recovery!


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