Is Doxycycline safe for dogs? Uses, dosage, side effects

Doxycycline is usually well tolerated and is considered safe for dogs. It is widely prescribed for a range of different conditions such as bacterial infections and oral gum disease.

What is doxycycline?

Doxycycline is a broad-spectrum antibiotic that has been commercially available since 1967. It belongs to the class of medicines known as tetracycline antibiotics which work by inhibiting bacterial protein synthesis by binding to a ribosomal subunit, preventing amino acids from being linked together. Without proteins, bacteria are unable to function. It is bacteriostatic, which means it stops bacteria from reproducing, but doesn't necessarily kill them.

Doxycycline treats a wide range of infections caused by susceptible gram-negative, gram-positive, anaerobic, and other bacteria.

Doxycycline is a prescription medicine that is not available over the counter but can be obtained from your veterinarian, human pharmacies, online pharmacies, and compounding pharmacies with a prescription from a vet.

What is doxycycline used for in dogs?

Doxycycline is an antibiotic that may be used to treat a wide range of bacterial infections in dogs and other small animals such as:

• Anaplasma (a bacterial tickborne disease)
• Ehrlichiosis
• Gum disease (periodontitis)
• Heartworm disease
• Leptospirosis
• Lyme disease
• Mycoplasma
• Psittacosis
• Respiratory tract infections
• Rocky Mountain spotted fever
• Salmon poisoning
• Toxoplasmosis
• Urinary tract infections.

Doxycycline is not effective against viral infections or fungal infections, although it may be used to protect dogs with parvovirus against getting secondary bacterial infections.

Is doxycycline approved for use in dogs?

Even though doxycycline is FDA-approved for human use, there are no specific versions for animal use, and using the human version in dogs is considered “off-label”. This is not unusual as many drugs are prescribed “off-label” for use in veterinary medicine.

Doxycycline is also used “off-label” to treat birds, cats, horses, reptiles, rodents, and other small mammals.

What are some brand names for doxycycline?

Brand names for doxycycline include Acticlate, Doryx, Monodox, Oracea, Periostat, and Vibramycin. It is also available as generic doxycycline.

How is doxycycline given?

Doxycycline is available as tablets, capsules, and liquid, all of which are given by mouth.

If you are dispensed the liquid version, just use the syringe or dropper supplied to squirt the correct dosage into your dog’s mouth. Follow it up with food to avoid stomach upset.

If your dog was prescribed a tablet or capsule, try putting the pill in a small meatball of food or one of the treats sold at pet stores that make it easier to get medicines into your pet. Follow up the dose with some food and water, to make sure the pill gets to the stomach smoothly.

Do not try and crush doxycycline tablets as it has a bitter taste and will make your dog’s food taste bad. If your dog does not eat all the food, then they may not get the full dose.

If you are unable to get the doxycycline tablet or capsule into the dog, ask your doctor or veterinarian for a liquid version.

Avoid giving doxycycline tablets with calcium or iron supplements. Check for any interacting medicines.

You will need a prescription for doxycycline from your veterinarian to get it, but it is readily through your veterinarian, online pharmacies, compounding pharmacies, and human pharmacies.

How much doxycycline should I give my dog? (Dosing chart)

Your vet will tell you how much doxycycline to give your dog because it varies depending on your dog’s weight and the condition your dog is being treated for. Sometimes the dosage may also be adjusted because of interacting medications. The following is a general guide to doxycycline dosage in dogs, always follow your veterinarian’s advice:

• General infections: 3-5 mg/kg every 12 hours for 7 to 14 days
• Urinary tract or soft tissue infections: 4.4-11 mg/kg every 12 hours for 7 to 14 days
• Acute infections with Ehrlichia Canis: 5mg/kg every 12 hours for 14-16 days or 10mg/kg every 24 hours for 14-16 days
• Chronic infections with Ehrlichia Canis: 10 mg/kg every 24 hours for 30-42 days
• Granulocytic anaplasmosis: 5 mg/kg every 12 hours for 14 days
• Lyme disease: 10 mg/kg every 24 hours for 21-28 days
• Leptospirosis: 5-10 mg/kg every 12 hours for 14 days.

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How long will it take to work?

Doxycycline starts to work quickly, within about 1 to 2 hours after your dog has taken it. But it may take two to three days before your dog noticeably improves as the condition resolves. If your dog has not shown any signs of improvement within four to five days, or gets worse soon after starting doxycycline, contact your vet. Doxycycline is usually effective when prescribed for infections caused by bacteria susceptible to doxycycline.

The length of time your dog stays on doxycycline, depends on the condition being treated. For gum disease and moderate infections, doxycycline is used for 5 to 7 days. But in some other conditions, such as respiratory infections or tick-borne disease, treatment may last 30 to 45 days.

What are the side effects of doxycycline in dogs?

Most dogs tolerate doxycycline well, but like humans, they can suffer from stomach-related side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or a lack of appetite. Your dog may feel a bit out of sorts and drool, lick their lips, or swallow excessively. Some may eat grass, which may help with the nausea feeling, or make themselves sick. Try giving doxycycline with food but tell your vet if your dog has vomited soon after swallowing the pill or liquid because they may not have received the full dose. Doxycycline can sometimes temporarily increase liver enzymes in dogs.

Doxycycline can also make your dog’s skin more sensitive to sunlight and therefore sunburn, especially the hairless areas such as the nose, eyelids, and ears. Keep your dog under cover when the sun is out and choose early morning or late afternoon walks.

Doxycycline should not be given to pregnant female dogs, because it can cause skeletal limb deformities in developing puppies. Let your vet know if your dog is pregnant before treatment.

Because it is excreted in milk, it should not be given to mother dogs who are still nursing their puppies and it should be used with caution in pets with significant liver disease or in young pets that are still developing bones and teeth.

Does doxycycline interact with any other medications?

Doxycycline can interact with the following medications, so tell your vet if your dog is taking any of the following:

• antacids such as aluminum hydroxide, calcium carbonate, magnesium hydroxide, or sodium bicarbonate, which may affect the absorption of doxycycline
• anticonvulsants, such as phenytoin, phenobarbital, or primidone
• bismuth subsalicylate
• calcium supplements
• iron supplements
• kaolin
• multivitamins
• other antibiotics such as penicillin, cephalosporin, or aminoglycosides
• pectin
• penicillin
• warfarin.

In general, the absorption of tetracyclines is reduced when taken with foods, especially those which contain calcium; however, the absorption of doxycycline does not appear to be affected by food or milk to the same extent as other tetracycline antibiotics.

If your dog is taking any of these medications, it does not necessarily mean he can’t take doxycycline, it may just mean changing the timing of some medications or additional monitoring. For example, oral antacids, bismuth, kaolin, and pectin should be taken two hours before or after doxycycline, and iron supplements should be separated from doxycycline by about 3 hours.

Dogs taking warfarin may need additional monitoring and a dosage adjustment.

What if I miss a dose of doxycycline for my dog?

If you miss a dose, give it as soon as you remember, but if it is almost time for your dog’s next dose, then skip that dose. Never give your pet two doses at once or give extra doses.