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Understanding antibiotics Antibiotics are used to help fight or prevent bacterial infections. A bacterial infection occurs when the body’s defenses are unable to prevent bacteria from entering the body and starting to colonize. Once the bacteria begin to colonize, their presence and waste products work together to make your pet feel ill. When the veterinarian prescribes antibiotics, the goal is to help the body to prevent further colonization by the bacteria. The largest problem with antibiotic use is bacterial resistance. This occurs when bacteria are exposed to antibiotics for a short period of time. During this time, the bacteria continue to grow and change to better survive in their environment. If an antibiotic is presented in too short a time period and the bacteria are not completely eliminated, it is possible that the bacteria will learn to grow, despite the presence of the antibiotics. At this point, repeated or prolonged exposure to this antibiotic will not eliminate the bacteria. A new group of antibiotics is often necessary to eliminate the newly resistant bacteria. This is why it is so important to completely finish your pet’s antibiotics. Even though they may look and act better after just a few days, there may still be bacteria present. This bacteria could grow to be resistant if given the opportunity. Please ask your veterinarian if you have any questions or concerns about your pet or your pet’s prescriptions. Please feel free to contact the Paw Paw Veterinary Clinic at 657 3114 during regular business hours or anytime at our website, pawpawvet.com , for more information.