The TSHTF guide to fish and bird antibiotics

The TSHTF guide to fish and bird antibiotics, (commonly available on eBay and other online sources) common use, dosage, and some side effects:

This information was complied for my family and friends to print and save , but as I am posting it here, I must make the following disclaimers:

The following is for entertainment and discussion purposes, ONLY seek professional medical guidance before attempting to diagnose or treat any condition. The same rules apply to veterinary medicine. Also, I do not recommend the ingestion of any product not specifically manufactured for human use, unless it is an emergency situation, and no other viable alternative exists.

In addition, people with kidney, liver problems ,and many other serious health issues may be at increased risk while using antibiotics and should consult with a qualified health care provider prior to considering any antibiotic usage. Some medications may also adversely interact with antibiotics and these should be discussed with your health care provider prior to considering any antibiotic usage.


Important notes:
This list is not meant to be all inclusive. All dosages given are approximate and adjustable.
Antibiotic dosages may vary considerably with age, health issues, and the specific conditions being treated. In general lower dosages are preferable in milder situations, while higher dosages are often necessary in more severe situations. Some antibiotics may make birth control pills less effective. All antibiotics have side effects, including disruptions in bowel and other flora. This problem may possibly be diminished by the appropriate use of probiotic products and limiting the use of antibiotics to only what is needed. One of the most useful probiotics seems to be Florastor.

[link to www.costco.com]

A serious (although thankfully uncommon) consequence of most antibiotic use is the overgrowth of Clostridium difficile , otherwise known as "C. Diff". This can be life threatening and produces a watery diarrhea, 10-15 times per day, often accompanied by fever, and sometimes by blood in the stool. If this condition is suspected, medical attention should be sought immediately. If no medical care is available, the antibiotic Metronidazole or Flagyl (on this list) may be used in conjunction with Florastor to treat this in conjunction with fluid and electrolyte replacements. The antibiotic Vancomycin (not on this list) may also be used in treatment.




Ampicillin:
Adult dosage (oral) 500 mg every 8-12 hours. In children the dose is around: 50 mg per 2.2 lbs of body weight (or per kg) orally, 4 times daily. For dogs a common dose is 5 to 10 mg per pound three or four times a day. The common uses are bacterial pneumonia, bronchitis, ear, lung, skin, and urinary tract infections. (It doesn't work for the common cold.) Contraindications: ALLERGY TO ANY PENICILLIN DRUGS (can be life threatening). It is generally OK in pregnancy (category B). Side effects: Diarrhea, stomach upset and rash. If a severe rash develops or the diarrhea becomes watery or bloody, stop immediately, start or continue Florastor and seek medical help immediately.


Cephalexin (Keflex)
Dosage (oral): Adults: 500 mg every 6 to 8 hours. Children: 10 mg/ per 2.2 lbs of body weight (or kg) orally every 6 to 8 hours . In dogs, around 10 mg per pound of body weight every 8-12 hours (50 lb dog= 500 mg every 8 to 12 hours) Uses: skin and respiratory infections. Also useful for ear, urinary, and bone infections. It is generally OK in pregnancy (category B). Side effects: Diarrhea, (usually mild), stomach upset and rash. Stop immediately if rash develops or diarrhea becomes watery or bloody, treat with probiotic (Florastor) and seek medical attention immediately.


Clindamycin (Cleocin):
Dosage: (oral) 300 mg every 6 to 8 hours in adults, in children it is generally 2-8mg/ per 2.2 lbs of body weight (or kg) orally every 6 to 8 hours. The usual dose for dogs and cats is 5mg-15mg per pound every 12 hours for 7 to 10 days Do not take concomitantly with erythromycin. Works mainly for anaerobic (deep tissue) or abscess type infections, but can also be used for severe respiratory, skin, and tissue infections. It is generally OK in pregnancy (category B). Side effects: This is one that we really worry about if significant diarrhea develops and "C Diff". Stop immediately if rash develops or diarrhea becomes watery or bloody, treat with probiotic (Florastor) and seek medical attention immediately. IF MEDICAL HELP IS NOT AVAILABLE and diarrhea is frequent, watery, or bloody (or the patient has a fever) consider also using Metronidazole (Flagyl) 500 mg orally every six to eight hours for 10 to 14 days.


Ciprofloxin:
Dosage: (oral) 500 mg every 12 hours. In children the usual oral dosage for treating serious urinary tract or kidney infections is 10 mg to 20 mg per kg of body weight (about 4.5 mg to 9.1 mg per pound) every 12 hours. The usual dose of ciprofloxacin for treating anthrax exposure in children is 15 mg per kg of body weight (about 6.8 mg per pound) every 12 hours for oral ciprofloxacin The typical dose administered to dogs is 5 to 7 mg per pound per day (11 to 15 mg/kg per day) orally. It is used in pneumonia; gonorrhea; infectious diarrhea, typhoid fever, inhalation anthrax, bone, joint, skin, urinary tract infections, and TB. It is probably OK (category C) in pregnancy if use is justified. Small risks of nausea, vomiting and rash. Rare risk of tendon rupture.


Metronidazole (Flagyl) :
Dosage (oral) 500-750 mg every 8 hours. For children, the dose is usually 10 milligrams (mg) per 2.2 pounds or kilogram (kg) of body weight per day, every 8 hours. For Giardia in dogs give 7 to 14 milligrams per pound that the dog weighs for five to seven days. For anaerobic infection, give 11 to 23 milligrams per pound that the dog weighs two to four times a day. Metronidazole is an antibiotic effective against anaerobic bacteria (abscesses) and some parasites. It may be used to treat intestinal parasites such as Giardia infections (from drinking contaminated water) amebic liver abscess, and amebic dysentery as well as "C Diff", so it would be a good choice for bloody diarrhea and most abscesses. It is generally OK in pregnancy (category B).Side effects: nausea, abdominal pain,
THIS ANTIBIOTIC IS INCOMPATABLE WITH ALCOHOL, IT WILL MAKE YOU VOMIT IF YOU HAVE ALCOHOL IN YOUR SYSTEM WHILE USING IT.



Erythromycin:
Dosage: Adults: 250 mg every 6 hours or 500 mg every 12 hours. Children: 30-50 mg daily per 2.2 pounds of body weight (or kg), divided into equal doses. Uses: Useful for treating respiratory infections, whooping cough, Urinary infections and STDs. Also useful for eye infections, lysteria, and legionaries disease. Along with its sister drug, azithromycin (Zithromax), it may also be the most useful in the treatment of respiratory infections since it's category (macrolide) has been shown to have some benefit in common respiratory viral as well as bacterial infections. (Since I know some well meaning GLPer will jump down my throat over this statement, please see further discussion contained in the post following this one before you hit the keyboard.) It is generally OK in pregnancy (category B). Side effects: stomach cramps and nausea. BTW more useful info in a TSHTF scenario, a single 1 gm (1,000mg) dose of azithromycin (Zithromax) orally should treat urethritis and cervicitis due to chlamydia and most forms of gonorrhea. Azithromycin is also available as a "fish antibiotic" on eBay, although somewhat more costly than most.


Sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim (Septra DS, Bactrim DS)
Dosage: One tablet every 12 hours. Children: not recommended in less than 2 months: 3.6mg/pound per day trimethoprim (18mg/pound per day of sulfamethoxazole) in 2 divided doses at 12 hour intervals for 5 days (shigellosis) or 10 days for ear infections and urinary infections. It is probably OK (category C) in pregnancy if use is justified. Uses: for recurrent urinary infections, bronchitis, traveler's diarrhea, shigellosis, ear infections and pneumonia. Also useful for Lyme disease MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ) Side effects: Photosensitivity and rash. Stop immediately if a rash develops, especially face or upper body, as this can be serious.


Doxycycline (Vibramycin):
Dosage is generally 100 mg orally every 12 hours for most uses. CHILDREN younger than age 8 CANNOT TAKE this medication due to the risk of tooth discoloration, and it should NOT BE USED BY WOMEN WHO ARE PREGNANT OR BREAST FEEDING. The usual dose of doxycycline in dogs is 2-5mg/pound every 12 to 24 hours. The usual dose of doxycycline in cats is 2mg/pound every 12 hours. Again, it should not be given to pregnant animals or puppies. Doxycycline may commonly be used for urinary tract infections, lyme disease, skin infections, common genital infections, acne, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and periodontitis (gum disease). It may also be used to treat anthrax (after inhalation exposure), Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and used to prevent malaria. Doxycycline is FDA pregnancy category D. Do not use doxycycline if you are pregnant or breast feeding. DO NOT TAKE IF EXPIRED. Side effects: Doxycycline can make you more sensitive to the sun, and burn more easily, may cause diarrhea, itching and mouth sores. Calcium supplements, antacids, and dairy products may somewhat block the absorption of Doxycycline.



Additional Notes:

1. If any sort of fever due to INFECTION is suspected and medical care is not available (or even if it is), DO NOT USE ASPIRIN, ESPECIALLY IN CHILDREN. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, Aleve) types of fever reducers are generally safer to use in these circumstances.

2. For most common uses, a week to 10 days of antibiotic therapy is generally sufficient, depending upon improvement and circumstances. Any antibiotic should be stopped earlier, however, whenever any detrimental side effect is observed, unless maintaining therapy is essential and alternatives are not available. These decisions should, of course, be made by a qualified heath care provider whenever possible.

3. In stocking a medical BOB on a limited budget, I would pick first Cephalexin (Keflex), second Metronidazole (Flagyl), third Erythromycin or azithromycin (Zithromax) if you can afford the more expensive of the two, fourth Sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim (Septra DS, Bactrim DS). and fifth Ciprofloxin or Doxycycline. No matter what my budget, I would make sure to have Florastor. Those are my picks, but you should check with your health care provider to see if you or people in your family have and counterindications to any of these, and then choose accordingly.



Resources:

[link to clinicalpharmacy.ucsf.edu]

[link to www.cpnonline.org]

[link to www.aafp.org]

P.S.
I am also putting together an emergency trauma guide for lacerations, chest trauma and emergency suturing techniques , but I don't know if I have the guts to post it here... maybe, depending upon how this goes...
I really want to help people be able to help themselves if TSHTF, but here are so many considerations...I guess I will wait to see how this thread goes, and maybe post it when finished.) Also I am aware of colloidal silver, oregano and other products, but this thread is to discuss antibiotic therapy for those interested in this particular topic. I know there are other good threads on this, I am just giving the list I compiled, FWIW.

P.S.S.
I'm tired, so I am sure there are a few typos. If you spot something please let me know and I will double check it.
Hugs to all.

Disclaimer:
The following is for entertainment and discussion purposes, ONLY seek professional medical guidance before attempting to diagnose or treat any condition. The same rules apply to veterinary medicine. Also, I do not recommend the ingestion of any product not specifically manufactured for human use, unless it is an emergency situation, and no other viable alternative exists.

In addition, people with kidney, liver problems ,and many other serious health issues may be at increased risk while using antibiotics and should consult with a qualified health care provider prior to considering any antibiotic usage. Some medications may also adversely interact with antibiotics and these should be discussed with your health care provider prior to considering any antibiotic usage.

Last Edited by emerald eye on 08/13/2021 12:37 PM