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Clindamycin overdose?

Species: Cat
Breed: Shorthair
Age: 5-8 years
I have been caring for Sox, a feral. Awhile back Sox started coughing on and off after being exposed to a cat with a respiratory thing. (That cat is now fine.) Sox started sounding a bit "snotty". I could not catch her to take her in for an exam. I started putting 50mg of Clindamycin in her food once per day. Someone later told me that they observed her being a little lethargic after starting the meds. About 7 hours after eating her 6th dose of the meds in food, she was found dead. I am horrified to think that I caused this cat to die from an allergy to Clindamycin. Does this sound like death by allergy? I was not able to observe if she had vomiting or diarrhea on the meds because she lived wild. She was spayed about a year ago and given the usual vaccines, including having a leukemia test and vaccine, though no booster vaccine for this. Does this sound like death from a medication allergy? Thanks.


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Oh, I am sorry to hear that Sox passed away. We will likely never know what the cause was. But the question that you want answered is whether or not the clindamycin could have contributed to her death.

the dosage of Clindamycin sounds appropriate so I think that it was unlikely that you overdosed her. Clindamycin overdose is not common at all. It is a relatively safe drug.

Clindamycin can cause a problem in an animal's esophagus if a pill is dry swallowed. However, if you gave it in food, that's not likely what happened.

With feral cats, there can be a number of underlying issues. It is good that Sox was vaccinated for feline leukemia but it's possible there was another virus there such as FIV or FIP that caused her immune system to not be able to handle the respiratory virus well. It's also possible that she had an infection somewhere that was not treatable by clindamycin.

While we won't know what caused her death, I can say that it is extremely unlikely to be because of anything you did.

Dr. Marie.


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Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

Customer reply:

Aside from overdose, does it seem at all likely that she had an allergy to the Clindamycin or a reaction such as nausea and/or vomiting that could have killed her within a few hours after the sixth dose? Thanks.


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

I really think that it is almost impossible that the Clindamycin caused her death.

Dr. Marie.



Customer reply:

Thank you for your reply.


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Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.