Fish Mox Dosage for Dogs: Simple Chart & Usage Tips.
Okay, so the other day, my dog, Buddy, got this nasty infection. I was freaking out, naturally. I remembered I had some fish mox left over from when my goldfish, Finny, had a similar problem (don't judge, Finny was a fighter!). I vaguely recalled reading somewhere that you could use fish antibiotics for dogs, but I wasn't about to just wing it with Buddy's health.
So, I dove into the internet. My first step was Googling something like "fish mox for dogs safe?" I found a bunch of forum posts and articles, some saying it was fine, others acting like I'd be poisoning my poor pup. This was getting me nowhere fast.
Figuring Out the Dosage
The biggest hurdle was figuring out the right dosage. I mean, a goldfish is not a golden retriever. I needed concrete numbers. I started searching specifically for "fish mox for dogs dosage chart." That's when things got a little clearer. I saw a few charts, but they varied a bit, which was still unsettling.
I realized I needed to cross-reference the information. I started looking at the concentration of amoxicillin in the fish mox I had. It was 250mg per capsule. Then I compared that to the dosage ranges I was finding online, most of which were based on the dog's weight. It seemed like the general rule was somewhere between 5mg to 10mg per pound of body weight, given two or three times a day.
Doing the Math (and Double-Checking!)
Buddy weighs about 60 pounds. So, I did the math:
- Minimum Dose: 60 pounds 5mg/pound = 300mg
- Maximum Dose: 60 pounds 10mg/pound = 600mg
Since my fish mox capsules were 250mg each, one capsule (250mg) seemed a bit low, and two (500mg) felt like it might be pushing the higher end. I decided to err on the side of caution and go with one and a half capsules to get in between (375mg roughly), I planned on giving it to him twice a day, with food, because I also read that's best.
I still felt uneasy. So, I searched for vets online that offered quick consults. I found one and explaind everthing I did and calculated. The vet confirmed that my dosage calculations seemed appropriate for Buddy's weight and the type of infection he likely had (based on my description, of course – he couldn't do a full exam online). He emphasized the importance of completing the full course of antibiotics, even if Buddy seemed better, to prevent the infection from coming back stronger.
I started Buddy on the fish mox, and I watched him like a hawk. Luckily, he took it like a champ when mixed with a bit of peanut butter. Within a couple of days, he was already showing improvement, and after the full course, he was back to his old, goofy self. The most important is that I finished the entire course of antibiotics!
I wouldn't necessarily recommend running the fish mox route first thing, but it worked in a pinch when getting to our regular vet immediately wasn't an option. I felt much better doing my homework.
