Cats get diseases and most of the times, these diseases may be cured with drug tablets. The cat dose of a medicine will be determined by several factors including the cat’s weight, age, medical condition or reaction to certain pills. If a cat is allergic to certain drugs, this must also be considered.
Cat’s Weight
The cat’s weight is one of the most important factors when determining the dosage of a medication. The drugs have a certain amount of mg of active ingredients. Typically, for each pound of the cat’s weight the vet will add a few mg of medicine.
You will also notice that most labels on drugs for felines indicate the amount of mg per pound of body weight needed for the medication to be effective and fight off infections or cure a disease. Please note that these indications are guidelines only and the vet should determine the dosage for your pet.
Cat’s Age
The cat’s age is also important when determining the right medication dosage. Typically, younger kittens and senior cats will need a lower medicine dosage than adult cats.
Cat’s Medical Condition
The medical condition of the cat should also be assessed prior to the administration of a certain dose. The cat should receive a more aggressive dose if the disease is more advanced. Mild cases of a certain disease may require a lower dosage.
The vet should also examine the cat to determine if there are no other diseases present. Blood tests will also be needed.
For instance, a cat with a heart condition should not get tranquilizers or get these in a very low dose to prevent further complications.
Other Factors
A cat may have allergies to a certain pill and this will also influence the medicine dosage. For example, if your cat has allergies to amoxicillin, the vet will be cautions with other types of antibiotics and prescribe a lower dose first and monitor the cat’s reaction and see if there are any allergies present.
If the cat is under treatment with certain medication for a different condition, the vet will also consider this, as a high dosage of a different drug may interfere with the effect of another drug.
The dosage can be altered according to the cat’s reaction to the pill’s compounds and the evolution of the disease. Never discontinue a treatment before talking to the vet, there are great risks involved when you suddenly discontinue steroids or antibiotics.
Please note that you should always consult your vet prior to administering a certain medication to your pet. It is important to determine if your cat requires that certain medication and if that is the most suitable treatment. Also, if you give your cat a dose that is too high, the cat can get medication poisoning. On the other hand, if you administer a dose that is too low, the cat may build up resistance to the compounds of the medication and will not respond.