Pet owner resources
Read the information sheet below, then print or download it for reference. Follow the instructions on your pet’s dispensing label and from your veterinary team.
Ampicillin + Sulbactam
Pet owner information sheet
💊 The most important rule: give this medication exactly as your veterinarian prescribed it — the right dose, at the right times, for the right number of days.
What is this medication for?
- Parenteral therapy of beta-lactamase-producing strains: E. coli, Pasteurella, Staph, Klebsiella, Proteus + susceptible Strep/Listeria; respiratory infections, serious bite wounds, intra-abdominal infections
How is it given?
This medication is normally given by your veterinary team (in clinic or hospital).
What if I miss a dose?
- Give it as soon as you remember — unless it is almost time for the next dose (then skip the missed one; never double up).
- Call your clinic if you miss more than one dose in a row.
Side effects — what should I watch for?
Effects listed as common in this handout
- Hypersensitivity (penicillin allergy) (Possible — the class risk)
- stomach/intestinal upset (oral flora disruption), injection pain (Occasional)
Worth a phone call to your veterinarian
- Any new symptom that worries you.
⚠️ Contact your veterinarian or an emergency clinic IMMEDIATELY if you notice
- Trouble breathing, collapse, seizures, severe vomiting or diarrhea, facial swelling, or pale gums
Before starting (or refilling), tell your veterinarian if your pet:
- has or has had: Severe penicillin hypersensitivity
- has or has had: Adjust interval in renal impairment; cross-reactivity with cephalosporins possible
- is pregnant, nursing, or used for breeding
- is taking any other medications, supplements, or flea/tick products, including:
- Aminoglycosides
- Tetracyclines/chloramphenicol (bacteriostatic)
- Probenecid
Storage and handling
Reconstituted into a vein solutions stable limited hours — per label; into a muscle reconstitution per label.
Good to know
- Mental model: "Unasyn = injectable Clavamox" — when a patient on amoxi/clav needs into a vein therapy (hospitalized pneumonia, bite wound cellulitis, septic abdomen), this is the form-factor switch, not a spectrum change.
- 2:1 ratio expressed as combined mg — dose calculations use the total (ampicillin + sulbactam).
- Anaerobic + Pasteurella coverage makes it a classic cat-bite abscess drug alongside source control/drainage.
This information sheet is educational and supplements — it does not replace — your veterinarian's individual instructions. Doses are set by your veterinarian based on your pet's weight, health, and other medications.
Questions? Contact: _________________ (clinic) • After-hours emergency: _________________