Using Liquid Amoxicillin for Dogs: A Guide to Dosage in ml for Safe Use
Okay, so my dog, Buster, he wasn't feeling too hot the other day. He's a big, goofy golden retriever, normally bouncing off the walls, but he was just lying around, looking all sad. No tail wags, no happy barks, just moping. I knew something was up.
So, I took him to the vet, and turns out he had a nasty ear infection. Poor guy. The vet prescribed liquid amoxicillin, which I'd never given before. I always got the pills or some other type of medicine, so this was new for me.
Now, the tricky part was figuring out the dosage. I mean, I didn't want to give him too much or too little. The bottle didn't have clear instructions of how much ml you should give your dog, based on the weight. And I didn't trust those online calculators, and, of course, I was worried sick!
The vet told me the dosage was 5mg per pound of body weight, twice a day. Buster, he's a big boy, weighing in at around 75 pounds. I had to do some quick math, which I'm terrible at. I must have checked it five times to make sure it's right.
- Buster's weight: 75 pounds
- Dosage: 5mg per pound
- Total dosage per day: 75 pounds 5mg/pound = 375mg
Here's how I broke it down:
Alright, 375mg, got it. But the amoxicillin was liquid, measured in milliliters (ml), not milligrams (mg). The bottle said it was 250mg per 5ml. More math! Ugh.
- Concentration: 250mg per 5ml
- Dosage needed: 375mg
To figure out how many ml to give him, I divided the total dosage by the concentration. I wanted to know how many "5ml" I would need to get the 375mg, so I did 375mg/250mg and then multiplied it by 5ml.
- Calculation: (375mg / 250mg) 5ml = 7.5ml
So, each dose needed to be 7.5ml. I got a little syringe from the vet, which had ml markings. It made giving the right amount easier. Let me tell you, giving a dog liquid medicine is not easy. Especially one that doesn't like it. Buster was not a fan, but I managed to get it down him. He's such a good boy when it comes to these situations.
I did this twice a day, as the vet instructed. I set reminders on my phone so I wouldn't forget. It was a bit of a hassle, but seeing Buster start to feel better made it all worth it.
After a few days, his energy came back. He was back to his old, bouncy self, tail wagging, bringing me his favorite toys. The ear infection cleared up, and he was back to running around the park like a puppy. Success! Giving him the medicine was a bit of a pain, but I was just so glad to see him feeling better. It's all worth it in the end to see them happy and healthy.
It was a learning experience, for sure. Now I feel a bit more confident about giving liquid medicine to my dog. But honestly, I'd rather just stick to pills if I can. Much less messy! Still, you gotta do what you gotta do for your furry friends, right?
