"DM" wrote in message
...
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.

We've been with the same practice for very many years and have full
confidence in their advice and the way they keep up to date with research.

But I'm not a doctor, perhaps you are ...

cheers

David