Clinical particulars:
TARGET SPECIES:
20 mg tablets are indicated for use in both cats and dogs, 100 mg tablets are indicated for use in dogs only.
INDICATIONS:
Treatment of respiratory tract infections in cats and dogs, including rhinitis, tonsillitis, bronchopneumonia and feline respiratory disease, due to organisms sensitive to doxycycline including: Pasteurella spp., Bordetella bronchiseptica, Staphylococcus aureus and other Staphylococcus spp., and Streptococcus spp.
Treatment of arthropod-borne Ehrlichia canis infection in cats and dogs.
CONTRAINDICATIONS:
Do not use in pregnant animals. Do not use in known cases of hypersensitivity to the active ingredient. Vomiting, oesophagitis and oesophageal ulcerations have been reported as side effects following doxycycline therapy, and Ronaxan should not therefore be administered to patients with dysphagia or diseases accompanied by vomiting.
Special warnings for each target species:
None known.
Special precautions for use in animals:
Do not exceed the recommended dosage. Tablets should be administered at feeding time.
Special precautions to be taken by the person administering the product to animals:
Wash hands thoroughly after use. Handle the tablets with care if you know you are hypersensitive (allergic) to tetracycline. In case of accidental ingestion, seek medical advice.
ADVERSE REACTIONS:
Photodermatitis has occurred following tetracycline therapy after exposure to intense sunlight or ultraviolet light. Use of tetracycline during the period of tooth development may lead to tooth discolouration. Doxycycline, because of its lower affinity for calcium, carries a lower risk than other tetracyclines. Refer also to section 'Contra-indications'.
Use during pregnancy, lactation or lay
Laboratory studies have not revealed any teratogenic, or embryotoxic effect of doxycycline in the rat and rabbit. However, as there is no information available in the target species, use is not recommended during pregnancy.
Interactions:
Cross resistance to other tetracyclines can occur. Doxycycline should not be used concurrently with other antibiotics especially bactericidal drugs such as the β-lactams. The half-life of doxycycline is reduced by concurrent administration of barbiturates or phenytoin. Simultaneous administration of oral absorbents, iron preparations and antacids should be avoided as they reduce doxycycline availability.
DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION:
The tablets are for oral administration. The dosage is 10 mg doxycycline per kilogram of bodyweight (one 20 mg tablet per 2 kg or one 100 mg tablet per 10 kg of bodyweight), administered daily for up to five days. In order to adjust the dosage, the tablets can be divided into two equal parts.
For treatment of infections caused by Ehrlichia canis the dose is 10 mg/kg/day for 28 days. Complete eradication of the pathogen is not always achieved but extended treatment for 28 days leads to a resolution of the clinical signs and a reduction of the bacterial load. Longer duration of treatment, based on a benefit-risk assessment by the responsible veterinarian, may be required in severe and chronic ehrlichiosis. All treated patients should be regularly monitored even after clinical cure.
Tablets should be administered at feeding time.
Overdose:
The toxicity and tolerance studies have shown that this product is very well tolerated in cats after five times the recommended dose. Raised levels of SGPT, GGT, SAP and total bilirubin were noted in dogs which received three or five times the recommended dose. Some vomiting can occur in dogs with five times the recommended dosage.
