My dog's penis is infected and oozing. Can I use leftover cephalexin?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This may be an infection such as from the urinary tract but this could also be something like a traumatic injury or urinary stones, among many other possibilities that may not need antibiotics. Cephalexin would not be a good antibiotic for this sort of infection in general anyway. I do not recommend that you give the cephalexin without investigating this further. I recommend that you have Charlie evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a great day!

If Leo is that ill and had elevated WBC counts, it is possible that the penis infection is what is causing it, or there may be something more systemic going on. However it would be hard to give a definite answer to that without seeing the full blood work and examining him. If the area is infected, keeping it clean and continuing antibiotic treatment is best. If the penis is not fully retracting into the sheath, it could be an issue called paraphimosis causing it, which is caused by either swelling or other obstruction preventing it from retracting fully. Your vet may want to monitor the area and may recommend surgically opening the sheath some to allow the penis to retract if needed. If the medications don't seem to be helping, hospitalization with more intense therapy may be needed to help him feel better.

While none of the medications that Katie is taking will interact with cephalexin, this antibiotic is not generally very effective for treating urinary tract infections. Since her UTI in January was (I assume) resistant to some antibiotics, there is a concern that a new potential infection may be as well. Giving unnecessary or ineffective antibiotics only serves to create bacterial resistance to some antibiotics. Katie should go to her vet for a urinalysis and urine culture so that the most appropriate antibiotic can be chosen for the bacteria present. I hope that she's on the mend soon!

Hello. Cephalexin is a good general antibiotic, but is totally inappropriate for treating ears this bad. Unfortunately, I think you need to find another veterinarian. Hopefully, your next veterinarian will treat poor Vlude's ear with a proper regimen of medications. Good luck & thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Reggie. I do not recommend giving him the cephalexin as you do not know for sure why his toe is sore. While he could have an infection, he could also have a wound, broken toe nail, a fracture or foreign object in the paw. Antibiotics are needed in some of these circumstances, but not all. He will need to see his veterinarian to determine the source of the lameness and the best treatment option for him. I hope this information helps!

I am sorry Nini is having discomfort around her rectum. The anal glands sit right inside the rectum and can become inflamed and rupture. However there are also peri anal fistulas and growth that can have the same appearance. I would not recommend giving her half of the cephalexin. This is still to high of a dose for her and can cause vomiting and diarrhea. I would recommend not giving any type of antibiotic until Nini see's a vet for a good exam an to determine the exact cause of the lump area. You can try to do warm compressed two times a day. Also you can try an anti histamine to help decrease inflammation. I hope Nini starts to feel better soon

That depends. Ideally a culture and sensitivity is run on the urine to identify what bacteria is present and guide what antibiotic should be used. However, this is sometimes cost prohibitive. Cefpodoxime is a perfectly reasonable choice if we don't have a urine culture to go off of, or if we don't yet have those results. If Laddie is eating,is not vomiting or having diarrhea, and isn't in acute kidney failure due to the infection, oral antibiotics alone are probably just fine. However if she is vomiting, is not eating, or is acting very lethargic, she should be re-evaluated by a vet. It is wise to monitor the creatinine value in the blood. If it is elevated, often dogs are treated with IV fluids as well as antibiotics. The creatinine can be measured daily with a blood test. I hope that is helpful, and I'm so sorry we weren't able to get to your question sooner! Thank you for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Please don't hesitate to post to the forum again or for the fastest, most interactive service you can request a consultation. Best of luck with Laddie!