Ampicillin

Indications

Ampicillin for injectable suspension has proved effective in the treatment of many infections previously beyond the spectrum of penicillin therapy. This drug is particularly indicated in the treatment of the following infections caused by susceptible strains of organisms: Dogs and Cats - Respiratory Tract Infections: Upper respiratory infections, tonsillitis and bronchopneumonia due to hemolytic streptococci, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis and Pasteurella spp. Urinary Tract Infections due to Proteus mirabilis, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus spp., hemolytic streptococci and Enterococcus spp. Gastrointestinal Infections due to Enterococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp. and Escherichia coli . Skin, Soft Tissue and Post-Surgical Infections: Abscesses, pustular dermatitis, cellulitis and infections of the anal gland, due to Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis , hemolytic streptococci, Staphylococcus spp. and Pasteurella spp. Cattle and Calves Including Non-Ruminating (Veal Calves) - Respiratory Tract Infections: Bacterial pneumonia (shipping fever, calf pneumonia and bovine pneumonia) caused by Aerobacter spp., Klebsiella spp., Staphylococcus spp., Streptococcus spp., Pasteurella multocida and E. coli susceptible to ampicillin trihydrate.

Dosage and Administration

The dosage of ampicillin for injectable suspension will vary according to the animal being treated, the severity of the infection and the animal’s response. Dogs and Cats - The recommended dose for dogs or cats is 3 mg/lb of body weight administered twice daily by subcutaneous or intramuscular injection. Cattle and Calves Including Non-Ruminating (Veal Calves) - From 2 mg to 5 mg/lb of body weight once daily by intramuscular injection. Do not treat for more than 7 days. In all species, 3 days treatment is usually adequate, but treatment should be continued for 48 to 72 hours after the animal has become afebrile or asymptomatic. DIRECTIONS FOR USE: The multi-dose dry-filled vials should be reconstituted to the desired concentration by adding the required amount of Sterile Water for Injection, USP, according to label directions. SHAKE WELL. After reconstitution this product is stable for 3 months under refrigeration and will be white to pale yellow in color. At the time of reconstitution the vial should be dated and the concentration noted on the label.

Contraindications

A history of allergic reactions to penicillin, cephalosporins or their analogues should be considered a contraindication for the use of this agent. RESIDUE WARNINGS DO NOT TREAT CATTLE FOR MORE THAN 7 DAYS. MILK FROM TREATED COWS MUST NOT BE USED FOR FOOD DURING TREATMENT, AND FOR 48 HOURS (4 MILKINGS) AFTER THE LAST TREATMENT. CATTLE MUST NOT BE SLAUGHTERED FOR FOOD DURING TREATMENT, AND FOR 144 HOURS (6 DAYS) AFTER THE LAST TREATMENT.

Precautions

Because it is a derivative of 6-aminopenicillanic acid, ampicillin for injectable suspension has the potential for producing allergic reactions. If they should occur, ampicillin for injectable suspension should be discontinued and the subject treated with the usual agents (antihistamines, pressor amines, corticosteroids).

Description

Ampicillin for injectable suspension is a broad-spectrum penicillin which has bactericidal activity against a wide range of common gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Each 25 g vial contains: 25 g ampicillin activity as ampicillin trihydrate, 90 mg methylparaben (as preservative), 10 mg propylparaben (as preservative), 200 mg lecithin, 500 mg povidone, 200 mg sodium chloride, 600 mg sodium citrate anhydrous.

Storage

Store at or below 25ºC (77ºF) with excursions permitted up to 30ºC (86ºF). After reconstitution, store under refrigeration.

Other labels for this ingredient

These labels are also stored for the same active ingredient. They are not identical to the one reprinted above, and each is listed by product and set id rather than merged with it.

• Polyflex® (ampicillin for injectable suspension), Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc.. Set id 61be8261-ac3d-418a-a414-62c64d9eacc0.

FDA adverse event reports

The FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine publishes the adverse event reports it receives through openFDA. The counts below are the reports naming ampicillin as an active ingredient for each species this label names, as returned on 2026-09-16, coded by the VeDDRA reaction term the reporter chose. Reactions are counted per report, so one report can appear under several terms.

These are counts, not rates. Reporting is voluntary, the number of animals treated is not known, and a widely used product accumulates reports for that reason alone. A report records that an event followed a dose; it does not establish that the product caused it. The counts say nothing about how one product compares with another.