Need a source of antibiotics for my feral colony

I have a colony of 8 that I feed and care for at an old barn in the country. I am running out of the old bottle of antibiotic I got from my vet a while back for our house cat.

Occasionally the ferals get bites, scratches, etc and I have to treat them since they are very trap shy. I just add it to their raw as I can separate them as they eat.

Of course my vet who neutered them originally and cares for my other 8 cats will not work with me at all... Needs to see the animal after all its's all about the money isn't it?

Anyway I need a source of some kind of antibiotic that will work on wounds and bites.

I know some people use fish mox that you can purchase on Amazon or through aquarium stores.

@Red Top Rescue  

I'm sorry I know caring for a colony of ferals is a huge endeavor and I commend you for taking it on. However, with the being said, while I'm sure you have the best of intentions, I agree with your veterinarian.

Any animal, cat or otherwise, should NOT receive antibiotics without appropriate over sight. Misguided use of antibiotics contributes to the prevalence of antibiotic resistant bacteria which is a crisis we all need to be diligent in reducing. Furthermore, antibiotics can have serious side effects which may harm the animals. When a veterinarian says the need to see the animal before prescribing it is not because they are money hungry, they are obligated to write prescriptions responsibly, and vets don't make a substantial amount of money when taking their education and the subsequent costs into account. No one goes into veterinary medicine for the money, that is an offensive comment for hard working, educated, individuals.

Now I'm aware you still need a solution for how to care for your colony, and I hope someone with more experience in these situations can responsibly advise you.

You should only give antibiotics if there are signs of infection or the wound is very deep, otherwise they can become antibiotic resistant.  You can purchase Fishmox (Amoxicillin that is legal to purchase without a script for fish) in their food. You mix 500mg (two 250 mg capsules) with 10ml of water, and give each cat 1ml in their food twice a day for 7-10 days. You can purchase an ml syringe and it's quite easy to measure, mix, and store in the fridge. You need to mix it in with smelly wet food or in a dab of tuna in their food.  Not all URI's need antibiotics, but if your cats get bad conjunctivitis in their eyes, or become fatigued, listless, feverish, lacking in appetite, or the URI doesn't improve within about 3 weeks, then chances are they will need an antibiotic.  I am not a vet or vet tech, so I'm only sharing this based on my experience of caring for sick or injured feral cats, and if you have questions, please do your own research or ask your vet. I will say that antibiotics saved my feral cat's life on two occasions. Antibiotics should not be given frivolously, but they won't harm a cat, either.  If you think there is an infection, it's better to err on the side of safety and give them, because if they become really ill, you won't be able to get the antibiotics in them because the won't want to eat.  

    http://www.calvetsupply.com/product/Amoxicillin-Capsules-250mg/Oral-Antibiotics

Ah Kristenann, sorry I touched a nerve but it is what it is. Remember the reason for antibiotic resistance is because of overuse by all medical profession personnel but that's another issue entirely.

I am sure all vets are " hardworking, educated individuals" as are most professional people however....oh well lets' not go down this road as I feel as strongly as you do about the issue of trying to get vets to go that extra mile of assistance with feral cats, be it neutering, providing antibiotics or euthanasia.

Thanks to all for your responses. Sounds like fishmox it is.

Much better than seeing the poor little kids die of infection because they can't be trapped !

One of the things I love about this forum is that we can respectfully disagree with one another from time to time. Everyone here really loves cats and wants to help each other, though we may have different approaches.

There is a liability issue for vets to prescribe any kind of medication for a cat they haven't seen in over a year. That's simply all it is. It has nothing to do with greed or indifference.

Veterinary care is the ideal, but not always possible in the situation of a feral who has been previously trapped and not able to be trapped again. In those cases, we have to think outside the box. There are some veterinarians who won't prescribe medication without examining the cat, but will give direction and advice over the phone, and will even allow you to email a picture of the cat wound or eye condition, etc. I've had the help of many dedicated vet doctors and technicians help me over the years with my ferals and strays. I have been very fortunate.

Blessings to you for caring for your colony. My last outdoor feral passed away recently and his offspring are all now safe inside my home and the home of my neighbors, and a neighbor's neighbor. It took four and a half years. I'm hoping God doesn't send me any more for a long time because I know what a huge commitment it is, and not everyone can do it.    

Ms Aimee, sorry for your loss. I started with these cats as kittens and their mom and dad abandoned in my brother-in-laws barn. Cats in our rural area area either left to starve, shot or run off. That being said I have great affection for all of them and try to keep them in good health. So I can empathize with you having observed the deaths of many. We just finished working at another neighbor's barn trapping, neutering and placing 12 of the 17 cats located. Most were bobtails, sweet and very loving. Yes that leaves 5 unaccounted for. Two of the boys stayed to hunt mice, etc. and 3 are in our i ground basement as permanent residents.

Yes opposite points in a discussion are healthy and help to raise awareness about issues. I just happen to believe that in most cases with feral issues money takes top shelf. It's' not really about "greed or in deference) your words, not mine.

But in the final analysis the real issue is about ferals, their quality of life, and who steps forward to provide it.

Thanks for taking those offspring into your home where they can be free of the "night terrors " as I call the Bobcats, coyotes and hunters who need target practice in our area. But with feral cats we have been averaging one a year on our doorstep from the nearby farmers barns.... they just seem to know you are there for them.

I'm glad my vet will give me antibiotics if I ask. Yes, they do need to have "a professional relationship" with someone to prescribe meds, but he says as long as he's seen ONE of my pets recently. . .:tongue2:. Anyway he's an old farm vet, I don't know what I'll do when he retires.

Yes, fish mox will work for most things if you don't overuse it, if it's something worse, you can get fish flex (cephalexin), but it's more expensive. Be sure to look up proper dosing on the Merck manual site, and only give it when absolutely necessary.