Sugar in antibiotics

[Kahluasmom]

Kahlua is on metronidazole and amoxicillin liquids.....her blood sugar has shot up. Is there sugar in either of these? We are trying new foods, too but they are all low carb. Could it be the antibiotics?

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

Kahlua is on metronidazole and amoxicillin liquids.....her blood sugar has shot up. Is there sugar in either of these? We are trying new foods, too but they are all low carb. Could it be the antibiotics?

It’s possible. What does it say on the bottle about the ingredients.
Did the vet give them to you or did you get them made up?
I would ask the vet.

 

[Chrispooky12]

Kahlua is on metronidazole and amoxicillin liquids.....her blood sugar has shot up. Is there sugar in either of these? We are trying new foods, too but they are all low carb. Could it be the antibiotics?

My boys BG shot up while he was on metronidazole he has also been sick though ECID

 

[Kahluasmom]

It’s possible. What does it say on the bottle about the ingredients.
Did the vet give them to you or did you get them made up?
I would ask the vet.

I got them from the vet and it says nothing on the bottle as far as ingredients. My vet is off today, of course, so another vet had several ideas, but no idea if there's sugar in the meds. I'm not sure how they don't know that, but there it is. And now it's the weekend.

 

[FrostD]

I did not have an issue with metronidazole but who knows what it was put in.

I heard somewhere the pink amoxicillin has sugar?

Sorry can't be of more help!

 

[Kahluasmom]

I did not have an issue with metronidazole but who knows what it was put in.

I heard somewhere the pink amoxicillin has sugar?

Sorry can't be of more help!

I found that, too. She has pink amoxicillin. The vet said she usually prescribes a pill, but the people who compound it for her don't do it anymore. It never occurred to me that the liquid had a sweetener. Why would they add sweetener for cats?

 

[Larry and Kitties]

Amoxicillin for Oral Suspension USP

Each 5 mL of reconstituted suspension contains 125 mg or 250 mg of amoxicillin, USP as the trihydrate.

Inactive Ingredients: SUSPENSION: FD&C Red #40, mixed berry flavoring, silicon dioxide, sodium benzoate, sodium citrate, sucrose, and xanthan gum.
From:
https://www.drugs.com/pro/amoxicillin-suspension.html

This https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/07/the-tastiest-medicine/533937/says the orginal formulation used an artificial sweetner.

"The original formulation of amoxicillin was created by Beecham Laboratories, which later, through an elaborate series of mergers, became GlaxoSmithKline. I contacted Glaxo to see if anyone there could shed some light on where the flavor came from. “What I have been told is that the pink bubble-gum flavor which I think you are referring to was developed specifically for the U.S. market at a former GSK site in Bristol, Tennessee, and the reason for this was that the penicillin molecule has an inherently bitter taste,” a spokesperson for the company told me in an email. (Amoxicillin is in the penicillin family.) The artificial sweetener aspartame is sometimes described as bitter—so my colleague Vann was really onto something there."

 

[FrostD]

I found that, too. She has pink amoxicillin. The vet said she usually prescribes a pill, but the people who compound it for her don't do it anymore. It never occurred to me that the liquid had a sweetener. Why would they add sweetener for cats?

Like Larry posted, they can be very bitter. I guess maybe it makes it more palatable (not sure, I've always just had plain old water/oil/chicken flavor suspensions).

Actually, the metronidazole is horrible too I've been told. That one I wouldn't be surprised if they added sweetener

 

[Deborah & Muffy(GA) & Wendall]

I found that, too. She has pink amoxicillin. The vet said she usually prescribes a pill, but the people who compound it for her don't do it anymore. It never occurred to me that the liquid had a sweetener. Why would they add sweetener for cats?

Amoxicillin (and clavamox) are antibiotics made for humans and the liquid forms contain flavorings and sweeteners because it's easier to give to children than pills. The label and dosing may be changed to market it for pets but the contents are the same. For example, clavamox is for animals, augmentin (the exact same drug) is for humans.

You can get amoxicillin tablets and compound it yourself. It's really just pulverizing the tablet and mixing/ dissolving it with a flavor your cat likes - baby food, tuna water, homemade chicken broth, etc.

I prefer tablets to liquids and would rather not 'pill' a cat if they can be tricked into taking it voluntarily. Some cats like cream cheese, raw meat balls, or wrapped with just enough pill pocket to coat. Sometimes I roll that in FortiFlora, freeze dried chicken or crushed favorite dry food.

Remember to give probiotics when using antibiotics.

 

[Kahluasmom]

Amoxicillin (and clavamox) are antibiotics made for humans and the liquid forms contain flavorings and sweeteners because it's easier to give to children than pills. The label and dosing may be changed to market it for pets but the contents are the same. For example, clavamox is for animals, augmentin (the exact same drug) is for humans.

You can get amoxicillin tablets and compound it yourself. It's really just pulverizing the tablet and mixing/ dissolving it with a flavor your cat likes - baby food, tuna water, homemade chicken broth, etc.

I prefer tablets to liquids and would rather not 'pill' a cat if they can be tricked into taking it voluntarily. Some cats like cream cheese, raw meat balls, or wrapped with just enough pill pocket to coat. Sometimes I roll that in FortiFlora, freeze dried chicken or crushed favorite dry food.

Remember to give probiotics when using antibiotics.

I'm going to try to contact the vet today. Kahlua does get S. Boulardii daily, so at least that's right!

 

[Larry and Kitties]

Amoxicillin (and clavamox) are antibiotics made for humans and the liquid forms contain flavorings and sweeteners

Typically Amoxicillin is the pink liquid used for pediatric patients. To my knowledge there is no vet formulation. Clavamox is amoxicillin and clavulanate potassium and there are vet formulations as well as human formulations. One major human brand is Augmentin and is commonly given for cat bites.

 

[FrostD]

*and a reminder that antibiotics and probiotics should be spaced by at least 2 hours