The administration of Fish Mox

My Better half found that Fish Mox can be given to cats. We've found the dosage for dogs but not cats. Has anyone used Fish Mox for cats? Our Vet refuses to write a prescription for us to get amoxicillin from online. She charges $30.00 for a 14ml bottle. The Fish Mox she found comes in 250MG capsule form for less than $10.00. Pointing me in the right direction would be a great help as there are 5 sick kitties in my house that need the mox!

What is Fish Mox, please?

Originally Posted by gizmocat

What is Fish Mox, please?

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Amoxicillin capsules that you put in aquariums to treat sick fish.

Originally Posted by fourwayz

My Better half found that Fish Mox can be given to cats. We've found the dosage for dogs but not cats. Has anyone used Fish Mox for cats? Our Vet refuses to write a prescription for us to get amoxicillin from online. She charges $30.00 for a 14ml bottle. The Fish Mox she found comes in 250MG capsule form for less than $10.00. Pointing me in the right direction would be a great help as there are 5 sick kitties in my house that need the mox!

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If there's another vet where you live I'd be looking for a different one as it appears that your current vet is more interested in making a profit than she is in your ability to treat your kitties.

I've never heard of giving Fish Mox to cats or dogs. I've been curious myself if it could be though. Sorry I can't help you.

PLEASE DONT use FISH MEDS for the cat ... I second getting another vet ... Fish meds are made for JUST FISH not mammels ..

My only comment would be that often the meds you order online are not the same strength or composition as what you get from the vet. AND, sometimes they are knock-offs and do nothing.

Personally (and this is my own personal choice) I would get all my medications from a vet for my cats. It's just not worth it to me to take a chance on anything else.

I agree with Yosemite....it's not a good idea to give fish food to the cat. You don't know what side effects it might have. Cat meds are formulated FOR cats only. Fish meds are for fish.

I've used fish-mox (amoxi) and fish-cillian (pennacillian) and fish-cyclene (tetratrycyclen) (Please forgive my spelling) on both my dogs and my cats. But, I've used it under the close supervision of my vet (daily bloodwork and check-ups). I didn't try it on my own not knowing what would happen to my animals. I agree with trying another vet. These aren't things you want to give to your pet without the supervision of a vet that knows what they are doing. My vet did warn me that if you give "foreign" medication to a cat/dog and it had a reaction to it, that can be considered animal abuse. Because you knowingly gave your pet an unknown medication without thought or care. (His words, not mine so don't get mad at me, please. I know you care or you wouldn't even ask)

I would go ahead and follow the already given advice of finding another vet.

I "worked" on a fish forum for quite a while moderating the health and disease forum. There are a good number of antibiotics and other types of medications that are used in both fish and humans (metronidazole, tetracycline, minocyline and erythromycin are some examples). Medications such as levamisole and praziquantel, which are used as dewormers in cats, dogs and cattle, can be used to treat nematodes and tapeworms in fish. All of that said, I would never take something that is intended for my fish nor would I give something that was intended for my use to the fish. I apply the same thing to my cats. I think that it would best to err on the side of caution and get a prescription for your cat from a veterinarian rather than to use a medication designed for another animal.

Bryan

Your vet is grossly overcharging you for antibiotics. I have a cat that has been on amoxycillan three times and each time I was charged far less for it. One of those three times I got it from a 24 hour emergency clinic that charges 50% more for the visit and lab work than my regular vet and they still charged me far less for the antibiotic.

Whew! Thanks for all of the advice! I did go back to the vet who issued me a larger quantity(bottle) of antibiotic at $12.00. She still refuses to give me a prescription though. I did not have to haggle the price for the of the meds. Oddly enough, what she prescribed had instructions for HUMAN consumption. The first meds were strictly for animals. I'm going to look for another vet.
Thanks again to all!

Originally Posted by fourwayz

Whew! Thanks for all of the advice! I did go back to the vet who issued me a larger quantity(bottle) of antibiotic at $12.00. She still refuses to give me a prescription though. I did not have to haggle the price for the of the meds. Oddly enough, what she prescribed had instructions for HUMAN consumption. The first meds were strictly for animals. I'm going to look for another vet.
Thanks again to all!

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Glad to hear you got the medication you needed and at a reasonable price.

A pharmicist told me to give a wounded cat Fish Mox (50mg 2-3 times per day). He said to open up the 250 mg capsule and divide it into fifths. Then put one fifth in the cats food.

I question if Fish Mox (amoxicillin) is as good as the Amoxi drops from the vet (also amoxicillin), but its better than nothing. A vet once told me that veterinary medications are a big money maker for them and are usually a big rip off for patients. She said that several of the dog/cat medications are exactly the same as those for humans BUT the dosage is very different.

The secrets of the rescuing world is that many of us use medications for other animals. You just have to know a thing or two about doses and ingredients. I know a lady who takes fish mox herself when she is sick. It is all the SAME thing just I would question the quality of a fish amoxi if a human were talking it I know another lady who has all this knowledge in her head and we are trying to get her to write it all down, she should publish a book about it to save all us rescuers some money in vet bills.

Just do some research before you get into that stuff. You really need to kow what you are doing.

A lot of breeders use Fish Mox and other meds that are marketed for fish or livestock. It saves money when you have a lot of animals, and with baby kittens or puppies it can be important to have things on hand and know how to use them, rather than wait until the vet can see them. Most of them do consult their vets, and/or get the appropriate dosage from vet manuals. I seriously doubt it's illegal. I don't do this myself, but if you do the proper research I don't see anything wrong with it.

Originally Posted by KatKisses

Has anyone else noticed that sometimes in the Drs Foster & Smith cateloges, that in the cat med section, they have fish meds. Though they don't say anything about giving them to cats, I see it as a notion...

That has to be illegal. We use it, when necessary, and haven't had any problems.

Seems like you have solved the problem yourself though, great to hear you are getting a new vet!!!

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While reading through this thread I was thinking the same thing, there is a bottle of fish mox in the cat catalog. I wondered about it, it needs no perscription.

PLEASE folk s TALK with a MEDICAL professional PRIOR to using anything OFF LABEL... DEATH CAN and HAS occured

Working in the humane society, I often see people bringing in sick cats & dogs they treated themselves with something not intended for the species or from a "recipe" they saw online. I've seen many animals die because the owners decided to treat themselves rather than go through the vet.

Ultimately, you must decide....there is the risk of death or grevious bodily harm when trying things on your own. Please, be careful....is it worth risking their lives?

I think the Number One TCS Forum Rule needs to be posted here ...

1. No online advice can replace direct veterinary intervention. If you suspect that your cat may be ill, please contact your vet immediately. You are welcome to look for advice in the health forum while waiting for that appointment, but never delay proper veterinary care waiting for Internet advice. Remember that cats, and especially kittens, are very adept in keeping pain to themselves and delaying treatment may cause irreversible damage.

That now being said, while there may not be anything wrong with using Fishmox or any other such antibiotic off label, the fact is that unless you are working with a skilled vet, you probably shouldn't use these types of medications. When dealing with an upper respiratory infection in cats, it is always best to request a sputum culture and sensitivity test performed to determine which bacteria is causing the infection and what antibiotic is specifically formulated to treat it.