best/safest antibiotic after tooth extraction in older cat?

Hi there,

I've heard a lot of different antibiotics mentioned around this site and elsewhere but was wondering if anyone had any thoughts about the best antibiotics to use in this specific situation:

Our oldest cat Otto, who is 12, needs at least 1 tooth extracted (and possibly 1 or 2 more.)

He is TINY! Though we are awaiting blood work results to confirm his health, we are pretty sure he's in great shape for a 12 year old. (He still zips around the apartment in short spurts and loves to play, seems happy, great appetite/thirst and litterbox use, etc) BUT, he IS pretty old AND he's so little, I'm just worried about anything affecting him drug-wise at all. He's an indoor cat.

At our vet's clinic, the default antibiotic after a tooth extraction is Convenia, which I absolutely do not want to be used. We would much rather give him oral antibiotics. I was told that the doctor performing the surgery was open to alternatives to Convenia and tomorrow I am going to talk to him about that.

So, I am trying to find out: what are all the good possible antibiotic options?

Absolute #1 priority is safest, lowest risk for Otto. We love him so incredibly much and don't want to take any chances we don't need to take. He's the sweetest, nicest animal ever and we don't mind difficult-to-administer meds. Unless we are missing something about his health, he SHOULD have some good years left, and I don't want some not-quite-right dental surgery procedures to mess him up!

Any knowledgeable recommendations are greatly appreciated! Thanks!

I wish I could help you, but I have no experience with tooth extractions.  I would encourage you to call the vet's office and ask which meds the would prescribe instead of convenia.  (Yay for you for not wanting to give that.)

Mr. Grimsby's teeth were pulled years ago, when he was about 15, we think. He was first put on Baytril, which really did a number on his tummy. Then we tried Clavamox, which he also couldn't tolerate.  We switched vets about that time, and our new vet gave him another antibiotic. It might have been amoxycilin, I'm not sure, but it was yellow and smelled like bananas. To prevent the projectile vomiting, she also prescribed something to settle his stomach. It may have been Mirtazapine, but again, I'm not sure. His records have been destroyed since we had to put him to sleep on March 20th.

Good luck with Otto and his tooth extractions. They can be more harrowing for the owner than for the cat! Let us know how it goes.

Best regards.