Is metronidazole in mom cat's milk safe for nursing kittens?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Female | unspayed | 2 years and 2 months old
My nursing mother was given metronidazole. Is it safe for her 5 1/2 week old kittens to nurse?
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on October 1st, 2017
It depends if Lilly is still feeding the kittens. When prescribing antibiotics to a pregnant or lactating cat it is very important to be aware of the potential side- effect that the antibiotic may have on the kittens. Metronidazole is transmitted into mum's milk therefore is generally not recommended for lacating cats. However, there are some occasions when the benefit for the mum is higher then the risk for the kittens. Please, get in touch with your vet to discuss why Lilly was prescibed this antibiotic. If Lilly is not feeding the kittens anymore, obviously she will be ok to take a course of metronidazole.
4Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on March 14th, 2020
Metronidazole is excreted in milk and so is not labeled for use in nursing animals. It is an antibiotic and can disrupt the bacterial flora of the GI tract. However, we're always having to balance pros and cons in our therapies. It's not great for the kittens to get metronidazole via their mother's milk....but it's more important that they get nutrition than it is to avoid the metronidazole. I would pose this question to your vet, who knows more of the specifics of how the mother is doing and how necessary it is to keep her on the metronidazole. If her diarrhea was mild, then I'd wean her off the metro as soon as possible to minimize her kittens' exposure. If her condition was more serious, then her need for the metro is higher priority. Her kittens will most likely be just fine, but we avoid going off-label when possible. In short, no need to panic, but worth talking to your vet about the fact that these kittens seem to need to nurse from mom, and decide the best option from there. Hope this helps!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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