VETINUITY
The label dose of amoxicillin-clavulanate is 13.75 mg/kg PO q12h in dogs and 62.5 mg per cat q12h; ISCAID guidelines use 12.5-25 mg/kg q12h for urinary and skin infections.
Doses are the combined amoxicillin plus clavulanate amount, as Clavamox is labeled. Drops are 62.5 mg/mL once reconstituted.
Per Vetinuity’s amoxicillin-clavulanate dose table, dogs take 13.75 mg/kg by mouth every 12 hours on the label, with ISCAID guidelines allowing 12.5 to 25 mg/kg every 12 hours for urinary and skin infections, and cats take 62.5 mg per cat (roughly 12.5 mg/kg) every 12 hours. The calculator above converts both to tablets or millilitres of the 62.5 mg/mL drops.
| Indication | Dog | Cat | Route and frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sporadic bacterial cystitis | 12.5-25 mg/kg | 12.5-25 mg/kg | PO q12h, 3-5 days |
| Superficial pyoderma, first tier | 12.5-25 mg/kg | not applicable | PO q12h, until 7 days past clinical cure |
| Skin and soft tissue infection, abscess | 13.75 mg/kg | 62.5 mg per cat | PO q12h, label 5-7 days |
| Periodontal infection | 13.75 mg/kg | 62.5 mg per cat | PO q12h |
Clavamox tablets come in 62.5, 125, 250 and 375 mg (combined) strengths. Clavamox Drops reconstitute to 62.5 mg/mL and must be refrigerated and discarded after 10 days. Human Augmentin tablets carry a 2:1 to 7:1 amoxicillin to clavulanate ratio rather than the veterinary 4:1, which changes the clavulanate a pet receives when doses are converted.
ISCAID places amoxicillin, with or without clavulanate, among the first-line choices for sporadic cystitis in dogs and cats, and amoxicillin-clavulanate among first-tier drugs for canine superficial pyoderma when culture is not yet back. Culture and susceptibility are recommended for recurrent cystitis, pyelonephritis and any pyoderma that has failed empirical therapy. The guidelines favor short, targeted courses over long empirical ones.
Vomiting and diarrhea are the common adverse effects; giving the dose with food helps. Do not use in patients with penicillin hypersensitivity, and avoid oral dosing in rabbits, guinea pigs and other hindgut fermenters, where it can cause fatal enterotoxemia. Vetinuity, the clinical assistant from Brian Toncray, DVM, an emergency veterinarian, keeps the 4:1 strength conversion on this page.
Related: cefpodoxime, ampicillin-sulbactam, doxycycline and enrofloxacin.
Cefpodoxime is labeled at 5-10 mg/kg PO once daily for skin infections in dogs; cat use is extra-label at a similar dose, and the once-daily schedule is its main advantage.
Ampicillin-sulbactam is commonly given at 22-30 mg/kg (combined) IV every 8 hours in dogs and cats, the hospital beta-lactam for parvovirus sepsis, aspiration pneumonia and peritonitis.
Doxycycline is dosed at 5 mg/kg PO every 12 hours or 10 mg/kg once daily in dogs and cats, and every oral dose in a cat must be followed by water or food to prevent esophageal stricture.
Enrofloxacin is dosed at 5-20 mg/kg once daily in dogs, but never more than 5 mg/kg per day in cats, the dose above which retinal degeneration and blindness have been reported.
Veterinary products state the combined amount: a 62.5 mg Clavamox tablet is 50 mg amoxicillin plus 12.5 mg clavulanate. Human tablets are labeled the same way, but their ratio differs, so check the strength when substituting.
ISCAID's 2019 guidelines support a short course for sporadic bacterial cystitis in dogs and cats, rather than the traditional 10 to 14.
Vetinuity explains clinical options with journal citations.
The veterinarian diagnoses and prescribes.