What Is Enrofloxacin Used for?

Video Transcript

"This is Lois Adams, president and CEO of Freedom Pharmacy and Wellness Centers in Orlando, Florida. The subject of our segment today is what is enrofloxacin used for? Well actually enrofloxacin is not a human drug, it's for veterinary use. It's a third generation fluoroquinolone and humans take fluoroquinolones too. It's broad spectrum bactericidal antibiotic. It's approved for use in dogs either orally, by injection or by IV, in cats, orally only and it's very well absorbed. Just as cipro is in the human body. How well the drug works depends on how much of it is administered. It is well absorbed and does not delay the rate of absorption. And food does not delay that either. Approximately 30% more of the drug is metabolized then compared to ciprofloxacin, cipro, in humans. Enrofloxacin has better bioavailability. This cannot be used in humans as it stimulates the central nervous system. Side effects reported include problems with the articular cartilage in dogs, but there are no current side effects in cats. Now the problems with cartilage are the same sorts of problems that were found in humans with ciprofloxacin, all in the same category of drugs so we have to be very careful. This has been our segment on what is enrofloxacin used for."