Lamisil is a special formulation of the common drug known as terbinafine. This medicine is commonly used in human cases of fungal infections, but it's more and more frequently being found in veterinary medicine as well. Lamisil has proven to be extremely effective at helping to eliminate certain types of infections in most dogs. However, because the medicine is not formulated and tested specially for pets, it's crucial that you work closely with your veterinarian to monitor your dog's overall health while he's taking terbinafine.
Benefits of Terbinafine
Terbinafine belongs to the class of drugs known as antifungal medicines. Antifungals are responsible for eliminating fungus infections by attacking the fungal spores at their source. In the case of terbinafine, the medicine causes the cell walls of the spores to weaken, which prevents the fungal spores from reproducing and attaching properly. The result is that the fungus dies cell by cell and the infection goes away.
Terbinafine is commonly used for fungal infections of the toenails and fingernails. With dogs, the medicine is used in a similar capacity. Terbinafine use for dogs involves the treatment of fungal conditions that affect either the claws on the front or the rear paws.
Administration of Lamisil
Terbinafine comes in oral tablet form. This tablet is designed for human use, so it's not specially formulated for dogs. Generally, adult humans are meant to take one tablet of terbinafine once per day for the full course of the therapy session, which is usually about 5 to 6 weeks. In the case of a dog, the method of giving the medicine will be the same. Most vets will recommend cutting up or grinding up the medicine to place it into your dog's food while he eats.
One major difference between veterinary use of terbinafine and human use, however, is that the veterinary dosage of terbinafine is typically much lower than the human one. The exact amount of the medicine that you should give your dog is dependent upon his size and weight. The duration of the treatment may be shorter as well.
Side Effects
Terbinafine may cause some side effects in dogs. Because it hasn't been properly tested, it's a good idea to keep careful track of these effects and to notify your vet immediately. The side effects include:
- Vomiting and diarrhea
- Swelling of the abdomen
- Faintness or dizziness
- Nausea
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
If you recognize any of these side effects, it could be the symptom of either an allergic reaction or some other issue that is a result of your pet taking the terbinafine supplement and medicine. Take your dog to the vet right away at the first sight of these effects.
Terbinafine can be a great way of helping to deal with your pet's external fungal infections. Left untreated, these can spread to other parts of your dog's body and cause him not only great discomfort, but also more serious health concerns. Eliminate the fungus fast with terbinafine treatment.