You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

Penicillin and its derivatives are widely used in veterinary practice. These drugs can significantly affect laboratory results making interpretation difficult

Penicillins are widely used in veterinary medicine and they can interfere with laboratory tests resulting in abnormal results which are difficult to interpret, including :

• Haematology
  • Decreased platelet count
• Blood Chemistry
  • Increased albumin - occasionally (BCG technique)
  • False positive antinuclear antibody (ANA) test
• Urinalysis
  • Increased proteinuria

Clinicians should be aware of these possible changes when interpreting laboratory results from samples taken from animals being treated with penicillin.

Last updated : October 2013