Refrigerated dog Doxycycline for Lyme: Is it still safe to give?

If your veterinarian recommends Doxycycline for Samson I would go ahead and give it. The benefit of the medication most likely outweighs any risk that it may have on Sampson. Doxycycline does not typically affect the growth but can affect tooth enamel when given to very young puppies. Since Sampson is 10 months old he shouldn’t have this issue at all. I hope this helps. Best of luck. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

If Rufus is still testing positive for Lyme disease, then yes he should continue to take the doxycycline. If you stop it and he's still positive for it, then the symptoms of it will come back. He needs to be treated until he is cleared of the disease. Studies have shown that some animals do not clear the organism after 30 days, and will relapse once the antibiotic is discontinued. While there can be side effects of antibiotics, the symptoms of Lyme disease can be quite severe and lead to fatal kidney failure. Not treating him will lead to much worse symptoms that the side effects of long term antibiotic use.

Doxycycline should be taken whole or immediately before food to ensure it is swallowed into the stomach, it should then be followed by a drink to ensure it is washed down. It can cause painful ulcers in the upper GI tract if it lodges here and is not taken directly to the stomach

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The recommended dose of doxycycline for Lyme disease is 20mg/lb once daily, so Joey should be taking around 200mg a day. Rarely doxycycline is used at higher doses or more frequently than once every 24hrs. Please, get in touch with your local vet to discuss the treatment as it sounds that the dose should be slightly adjusted.

I’m assuming both dogs are about the same weight. If so the doxycycline could cause vomiting or upset stomach but there would be no other major concerns. If one of your dogs is smaller you should repost your question. Be sure to let your vet know and to get a refill so the prescription can be finished.

Most liquid metronidazole suspensions are compounded, and for the most part they are oil based suspensions. If this is the case for your bottle of metronidazole the main reason that refrigeration is recommended is to prevent bacterial contamination, not to preserve the medication. I think it will be safe to give Jack a dose, but you should plan to call either the compounding pharmacy or your vet in the morning to confirm that the medication is still effective.

I would recommend trying the antibiotic one more time. Make sure Chloe has a full stomach prior to giving it. If she vomits again, I would recommend calling your veterinarian tomorrow and discussing what the next steps are. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.