Ampicillin Capsules, 500 mg

Broad-Spectrum Antibiotic Capsules for Bacterial Infections in Pets

Product Description

Ampicillin 500mg Capsules are an FDA-approved prescription aminopenicillin antibiotic that veterinarians use to treat bacterial infections in dogs, cats, and horses. It works by disrupting the way bacteria build and hold together their cell walls, which causes them to break down and die. It covers both gram-positive and many gram-negative bacteria and is approved for respiratory, skin, urinary tract, gastrointestinal, and soft tissue infections in dogs and cats, and respiratory, skin, and soft tissue infections in horses.

Benefits

• FDA-Approved Multi-Species Antibiotic: One of the few oral antibiotics FDA-approved for use in both companion animals and horses for a broad range of infections.
• Respiratory Infection Treatment: Covers pneumonia and bacterial respiratory infections in dogs, cats, and horses caused by susceptible organisms.
• Skin and Wound Infection Coverage: Effectively treats skin infections, wound infections, and soft tissue infections caused by susceptible organisms in all three species.
• Urinary Tract Infection Treatment: Helps clear bacterial infections affecting the bladder and urinary tract in dogs and cats when the organism is susceptible.
• Gastrointestinal Infection Coverage: Treats GI tract infections in dogs and cats including those caused by E. coli and Salmonella species under veterinary guidance.

Ingredients

Active Ingredients

Ampicillin 500mg

How to Use

Ampicillin 500mg Capsules are a prescription-only medication. A valid veterinarian prescription is required to purchase this product.

Please follow your veterinarian's specific instructions for the dosage and administration of this medication for your pet.

Disclaimer: Dosage and administration of this medication must be determined by a licensed veterinarian. Always consult your veterinarian before administering or adjusting any prescription medication for your pet.

Tucking it inside a soft pill pocket or wrapping it in a pill wrap treat is one of the easiest ways to make the whole process stress-free.

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Additional Information

Precautions

• Penicillin Allergy Contraindication: Do not use in any animal with a known hypersensitivity to ampicillin, penicillins, or cephalosporin antibiotics.
• Human Penicillin Allergy Handling Risk: People with penicillin or cephalosporin allergies must not handle these capsules, as contact alone can trigger a serious allergic reaction.
• Not for Viral Infections: Ampicillin is effective only against susceptible bacterial infections and will not treat viruses, fungi, or parasites.
• Avoid With Bacteriostatic Antibiotics: Do not combine with erythromycin or tetracyclines, as these drugs may work against ampicillin's action and reduce its effectiveness.
• Caution in Kidney Disease: Pets with compromised kidney function may struggle to clear this medication at a normal rate, increasing the likelihood of side effects during treatment.
• Complete the Full Course: Stopping treatment early allows surviving bacteria to repopulate and develop antibiotic resistance, leading to recurrent or worsening infection.
• Check for Drug Interactions: Let your veterinarian know if your pet is currently taking anticoagulants such as warfarin, supplements, vitamins, or methotrexate before starting ampicillin.

Possible Side Effects

• Vomiting and Diarrhea: Digestive upset is the most commonly reported side effect and may ease when the capsule is given alongside a small amount of food.
• Incoordination With High Doses: Dogs on high doses or prolonged ampicillin therapy may show signs of difficulty walking or incoordination that need veterinary assessment.
• False-Positive Urine Glucose: Ampicillin can interfere with urine glucose test results and produce false-positive readings, which is particularly important to note in diabetic pets.
• Serious Allergic Reactions: Hives, facial swelling, breathing difficulty, or collapse indicate a serious reaction requiring immediate emergency veterinary care.

Storage Information

• Room Temperature Storage: Tablets should be kept in a well-sealed container at room temperature, protected from excess heat and humidity at all times.
• Protect from Light and Moisture: Keeping capsules away from direct sunlight and damp environments helps hold on to their full potency over time.
• Keep Out of Reach: Always store this medication somewhere secure and out of reach of children and untreated pets.

Note: For generic medications, the product image shown may not reflect the actual item received. Generic medications can vary in size, color, and shape between orders depending on the manufacturer. Additionally, your medication may arrive packaged in a HardyPaw Pharmacy vial.

Shipping & Return

We offer ground, express, and priority delivery; see our shipping policy for details.

For return instructions or product concerns, please refer to our detailed refund policy.

Prescription items are NON-RETURNABLE and NON-REFUNDABLE.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What conditions does ampicillin treat in dogs, cats, and horses?

Ans: Ampicillin has FDA approval for treating respiratory, skin, urinary tract, gastrointestinal, and soft tissue infections in dogs and cats, and respiratory, skin, and soft tissue infections in horses. Common examples include bladder infections, wound infections, dental abscesses, and pneumonia caused by susceptible bacteria. Your vet will confirm whether the infection is likely to respond before prescribing.

Q2: Why must the full course of ampicillin always be completed in pets?

Ans: Cutting the course short leaves behind bacteria that have managed to hold on through the early doses, and those are often the ones most likely to bounce back stronger. Finishing the full course gives the medication the best chance of clearing the infection properly and reduces the risk of resistance developing. Your vet will set out exactly how long the course should run.

Q3: Why must people with penicillin allergies take special precautions when handling ampicillin capsules?

Ans: Ampicillin is part of the penicillin family, which means even brief skin contact with the capsule contents can be enough to set off a serious allergic reaction in someone with a known penicillin or cephalosporin sensitivity. It is not just about swallowing the medication. Anyone in that situation should avoid direct contact and get medical advice promptly if accidental exposure occurs.

Q4: Why should ampicillin not be combined with erythromycin or tetracycline antibiotics?

Ans: Ampicillin needs bacteria to be actively growing in order to do its job properly. Erythromycin and tetracyclines put bacteria into a kind of holding pattern rather than killing them outright, which takes away the conditions ampicillin relies on to work. Giving them together can leave you with a treatment that falls short of clearing the infection fully.

Q5: How does ampicillin affect urine glucose testing in diabetic pets?

Ans: Some older urine glucose test strips can pick up certain byproducts of ampicillin in a way that looks like glucose, giving a falsely elevated reading. For diabetic pets on ampicillin, this can make routine monitoring unreliable. Let your vet know so they can recommend a testing method that will give accurate results throughout the course of treatment.

Clinical Research

Ampicillin for Dogs - Wag!

Ampicillin (Polyflex) for Dogs and Cats - PetPlace

Ampicillin - VCA Animal Hospitals

Ampicillin - Wikipedia