Certain antimicrobial medicines used in cats and other animals have been available over the counter. That ends now. As of June 11th, all antimicrobial medicines for animals that are also important in human medicine must be prescribed by a veterinarian, says the Food and Drug Administration. The move is aimed to ensure judicious use of these drugs and retain their effectiveness in both our cats and us.
The change probably won’t affect the way you give medicine to your cat. It is mostly farmers and ranchers overseeing livestock who buy antimicrobials over the counter. But your cat — and you — will still be better off for the new restriction. The more indiscriminately that antimicrobials are used, the more the bacteria they attack are apt to mutate, limiting the drugs’ effectiveness.
