Dog bite infection not healing? What antibiotics should I try?

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Augmentin or Clavamox are typically effective for skin infections, but Cephalexin is generally more commonly used. Common ophthalmic antibiotics often include Neomycin or Orbifloxacin. I hope this is helpful!

Oh dear, poor Jack! Dog bite wounds can become infected quickly and can cause far more damage under the skin than is visible on the surface. I strongly recommend taking Jack to his vet for evaluation since surgery can be necessary for many bite wounds to assure that the wound is clean, tissue is healthy, and that underlying organs and structures have not been damaged. The vet will also likely prescribe antibiotics (cephalexin, cefpodoxime, amoxicillin-clavulinic acid are typically used in these cases) and a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication (such as carprofen, deracoxib, or meloxicam) if his liver and kidney blood values are normal. The vet will also likely recommend an e-collar (cone) to prevent Jack from licking or scratching at the wound, unless the collar would directly rub on the wound and cause further irritation. I hope this helps and that Jack feels better soon!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Sabrina! Sabrina needs the tooth extracted in order to eliminate the infection permanently. Antibiotics are just a bandaid. Once they are stopped the infection will return. Clindamycin and Clavamox are good choices for oral infections. I hope this helps and I wish Sabrina the best!

Great question! There would immediately be bacteria in the wound from the bite due to bacteria in the mouth. The antibiotics should prevent the growth and spread of the bacteria. Keep the wound clean and dry and it should heal quickly. Good luck and kisses to Pepper!

You cannot expedite healing as the body takes as long as needed to heal. As long as your dog is on antibiotics there should be no infection. By the time the antibiotics are all given, this should have healed.

Although cephalexin and cefpodoxime are both cephalosporin antibiotics, they are different drugs - so it's certainly possible for an organism to be susceptible to one and not the other. Culture results generally give us a very good idea of what antibiotics are likely to be useful in treating the infection, so I don't see any problem with using cefpodoxime if this is what your veterinarian has recommended.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. That really depends, as there are several appropriate choices. If it is tooth or periodontal disease related, clindamycin is often used. However, there is a HUGE dose range for this so please talk to your vet about the right dosing and medication - otherwise you'll end up wasting your money for little effect - or causing serious side effects. Of course, if it is tooth or periodontal disease related - the only cure is usually an anesthetized dental cleaning and removal of diseased teeth. Best wishes to you and Monster!