DM wrote:
Mary Fisher wrote:
"Harry Bloomfield" wrote in message
k...
We took a dog to a vet on Sunday for him to check out what turned out
to be a much more serious wound than it at first appeared and paid a
bill of £150.

We were given anti-biotics, but not a full course and asked to return
the animal mid week for another check up.

My understanding of anti-biotics is that if a course is started, the
full course should always be given.

....

That's changed now, for humans at least. Doctors will vary but our
practice (about eight doctors and several nurses) advise to stop
taking the antibiotics when symptoms have gone.

Mary


Symptoms can disappear very quickly, but the bacteria causing the
infection are still there in significant numbers. For example one of my
kids had am eye infection, two doses of antibiotics and 4 hours later
all visible symptoms had effectively disappeared, but it would be
irresponsible to then stop taking the treatment.

Any health professional that tells you otherwise is giving poor advice.
In some cases I could see them telling you to take for a minimum of x
days and then if you are all clear stop taking them. But the simple
statement you make above strikes me as dangerous advice.

cheers

David

It seems that from Nov 1st vets will be allowed to charge for
prescriptions, presumably to make up for the income they lose when
people buy drugs online.