The dosage on Cephalexin is 15mg/pound of body weight twice daily, should be
roughly 12 hour intervals. Weighing needs to be done before a feeding, not after.
I suggest keeping a record of weights, amount of colostrum/formula taken, and
dosage of antibiotic given. The amount of antibiotic will be adjusted as the pup
gains weight, usually weekly intervals for the change.
Preferably weighing should be done at the same time of day each time, and
needs to be done daily or at least every other day.
It is acceptable in pediatric medicine to make a dilution using caps/mixed with
water in order to be able to dose correctly, so if the soon to be described
procedure is acceptable in "people pediatrics" I 'm sure it is fine for canines. I
have found most vets don't think this is an accurate way to get your dosage, but
properly done, it is.
Choose a small container, a washed and dried pill bottle is perfect. If using a
250mg. cap, add 10cc of tap H20 to the bottle. If it is a 500mg cap, then you will
add 20cc tap H20 to the bottle. Do use your syringe to get the correct amount of
water. Add your water first, that way if you add an incorrect amount of water
you can just dump it and start again. If you add your med powder first, then the
mix will not be correct if the amount of water is not correct.
Once you have the correct amount of water in the container, then open your
capsule and add the powder from the cap to the water. Recap the bottle and
shake well to thoroughly mix the water and med. Once thoroughly mixed you
may draw up your dosage. Each 1 cc of the mixture will yield 25mg. This is
where the TB syringe is important. It has a total volume of 1cc, and has
markings in 1/10ths of a cc and even smaller increments. If your pup is just a
pound then the dosage would be figured as follows. So you know the
abbreviations "cc" and "ml" mean the same thing.
Dosage is 15mg. per 16 oz. (1 pound). Med mixture is 25 mg. per 1cc
Each 1/10th or .1 on the TB syringe is 2.5 mg.
.6cc per 16 oz.
Below is an example of figuring dosage for an 8 ounce pup, set your calculation
up with weights on the bottom. You know
1 pound or 16 oz would receive .6cc of the above dilution. That is a constant.
"x" denotes what you are trying to figure out, the dosage to give for a certain
weight. You place the amount of the pups weight in oz also on the bottom under
the x.
Next you cross multiply, 16oz times x equals 16oz x and then cross multiply .6
times 8oz =4.8
You then divide...... 4.8 divided by 16x =.3 and that is your daily dosage, which
is then divided into 2 doses,
given at roughly 12 hour intervals, would be .15 cc twice daily. One must use a
TB syringe to be accurate on dosage.
.6 cc
x
--------- . ------16 oz
8oz
Another example pup weighs 10 oz.
.6cc
x
------- . ------16oz 10oz
So cross multiply .6 times 10 equals 6. Then you divide that 6. by 16 and that
gives you .375 Now since that is so close to .4 that is what you would round the
med dosage up to. It is possible to dose .35 but the .375 is more difficult and it is
okay to go up to the next higher "tenth of a cc" in those cases. So that pup would
receive .2 cc twice a day for a total of .4cc a day.
If any question with your dosage please email me. It is important to be correct
with your dosage. Too much med the pup will likely set up diarrhea. Too little
and the pup will not be protected. Email hennwood@juno.com
Keep the mixture in the refrigerator, and shake the bottle well each time before
drawing up your med dose. The med and water parts tend to separate when the
mixture sits. The mixture properly stored in the refrigerator is good for 10 days.
Any left after 10 days dispose of and rinse the container and mix up a new
batch, following the above instructions again. Be sure to give the med with the
feedings that fall at roughly 12 hour intervals or as close to that as possible.