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Is Terbinafine safe for my dog's skin infection? Will it harm organs?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | German Shepherd | Male | 3 years and 1 month old

He is having skin Infection looks like ring worm to me as shown in the attach photo and vet prescribed him terbinafine so is this terbinafine is safe medicine safer than Augmentin or it is just similar to Augmentin as far I know Augmentin is very harsh anti biotic that has some or other affect on dogs kidney or liver actually I decided that from this new yr I won't give medicines to him for these small things like ringworm and so as it has affects on organ that can short his life span

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Lotus Altholtz

Veterinarian, Board-Certified Lab Animal Medicine Specialist

Published on January 23rd, 2019

Terbinafine is an antifungal. If the lesion is ringworm (an fungal infection), you should not be touching it or the hair around it with your bare hands as it is highly transmissible to humans. as it is raw and red and not perfectly circular as with most ringworm lesions, it looks more like a bacterial pyoderma collarette to me. Augmentin is actually one of the milder antibiotics, commonly prescribed in human infants and toddlers. If you are worried about oral antibiotics/antifungals, you can ask your vet about a topical antifungal such as miconazole lotion (to cover your bases if it is ringworm), and topical steroid/antibiotic/antifungal ointment such as Dermavet. Good luck!

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    Answered By Sara Farmer, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on January 24th, 2019

    While terninafine may have some activity against specific bacteria it is not generally considered a good choice for bacterial skin infections. Augmentin has a much broader spectrum. Also, while terbinafine can affect the liver it is not common and occurs more frequently with long term use. I don’t believe it has been linked to kidney disease.

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