A recent study from Kansas State University looked at the concentration of a common antibiotic in the urine of cats after it was given by mouth. The study gave 11 cats three doses of 62.5 mg amoxicillin/clavulanate 12 hours apart. Urine samples were then collected when the cat voided, if possible. If any cat didn’t provide three urine samples by 24 hours post treatment, a sample was taken by cystocentesis (the passage of a small needle through the abdominal wall into the bladder to collect a urine sample, a safe procedure that is commonly used in veterinary medicine). The feline volunteers were then put up for adoption.
The urine was tested to determine whether the drug concentration reached recommended levels to neutralize E. coli, a bacterium that is responsible for many cases of feline urinary tract infections (UTI). In all cases, the antibiotic concentration in the urine reached this minimum level. These results may alter the current guidelines for the testing of bacterial sensitivity (i.e., ability of an antibiotic to neutralize bacteria) in the urine of cats with UTI.
A weakness of the study is that these were all healthy cats. More research is needed to determine whether these urinary drug concentrations are found in cats with naturally occurring urinary tract infections after oral dosing.n
