My dog is on Cephalexin. Is this dose safe for renal failure?

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach to address your concern. At the high end of the dose of 60mg/kg for systemic infections, it would be approximately 436mg every 8 hours for that dose for a 16lb dog. A 500mg capsule will not likely cause any life threatening problems. You may see vomiting and diarrhea but this should resolve on its own. If you start to see neurological symptoms such as seizures or a wobbly gait, I would have a veterinarian examine KC. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be happy to help further.

The cephalexin dose is 10 to 15mg per LB. So this means your dog is getting 1000mg divided by 75 lbs: 13.33 mg/lb, which is a perfectly proper dosage.

Using antibiotics is generally safe for pets with kidney failure, however Sofiya needs some aggressive treatment for her kidney issues. This could look like more testing, including an abdominal ultrasound, leptospirosis testing, checking for tick diseases, and other tests depending on what is going on with her clinically. It would also include treatment of IV fluids, anti-nausea medications, medications to lower her phosphorous levels, and others (again depending on how she's actually doing). In short, the Cefor isn't going to treat the issues in this bloodwork.

Cephalexin is a safe antibiotic and I am not aware of any side effects of long term usage. Using an antibiotic for a long period of time can however result in antibiotic resistance which is a major problem for animals and people. It is difficult to say how long is too long when you're talking about risk for antibiotic resistance. There are general guidelines regarding safe and prudent antibiotic usage - talk to your vet if you have concerns.

In rare cases, it can cause kidney damage, but it won't lead to the kidney becoming extremely enlarged. I'm sorry this is happening with Odin! In a dog his age, cancer is always a possibility. I hope this helps.

Yes, CEFUROXIME AXETIL 500mg can be given to dogs with kidney disease. High creatine by itself does not have it's own set of symptoms. When elevated along with the BUN then the symptoms would be those of kidney disease - it differs for acute vs chronic disease. ( https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/kidney-disease/ ) I would not recommend given any drug with phenylephrine to a dog. I cannot tell you an alternative as I don't know what is available in your country and I'm not sure why your vet was prescribing this medication. I suggest you consult with them since they have Chutki's medical history and can advise you better.

Cephalexin should always be given every 12 hrs due to the half-life of the medication, and sometimes even every 6-8 hrs depending on the severity of the infection. There can be a build up of resistance to frequent use of antibiotics, so I would try to have a more in depth conversation with your vet about long term treatment options that can keep Bruno's skin barrier at optimal levels, such as daily fish oils, prescription diets, and medicated shampoo's. Bruno getting Cephalexin at the frequency that he has been getting it should no affect his liver in a negative way or reduce his lifespan, the main concern here is resistance to the antibiotics over time. Best of luck with your furry friend Bruno moving forward and managing his apparent skin allergies and skin infections. Take care!