# Can Clavamox be stored in the freezer?



## AK26 (Oct 9, 2012)

Darwin is on Clavamox (amoxicillin trihydrate). As a suspension, it only last 10 days and I will give him a total of 3 ml by the time I need to throw it away, but the bottle is 15 ml, so I would have to throw 12 ml away. 

I would like to save some of the extra from going in the trash in case I need it again. I was thinking putting single doses on pieces of bread and freezing it. Another thought was to put them in little tubes (like little PCR tubes). Then when I would need I would just transfer them to the fridge to defrost. 

Would the medication still be potent after freezing/thawing process? Does anyone know why clavamox goes bad so quickly? Is it because the antibiotic is too unstable and loses potency too quickly or because it's not guaranteed to be sterile longer than that?

I also have access to a -70 C freezer (traditional freezers I believe are about -20 C) if that would be better. 

Tried looking it up online but the official info doesn't say anything about freezing, I guess because their "main" patients are dogs and cats that actually finish the bottle

I also have Baytril and vibromycin. A few weeks supply and the vet didn't say anything about it going bad. I have a feeling I'll have left over Baytril and was wondering if I should freeze doses of those too. The expiration is not till next year, but it's hard for me to believe it lasts that long in suspension form. Maybe that's just the expiration for the tablets they use to make the suspension? They suspend in grenadine 

((Thanks! Some of you may notice I've been posting a lot lately. My two ratties are my first and I've been dealing with health problems for the first time so I have a ton of questions. So thanks for looking at this questions and all the help I've gotten with my other questions!!))


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## AK26 (Oct 9, 2012)

so i tried doing more searches and I actually found on the pfizer site that freezing damages... *sigh* But I don't know if that means it is just less potent or useless. Still curious if anyone has tried.


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

A few quick Google searches and most places are saying don't freeze it. I wouldn't risk it being ineffective or causing antibiotic resistance issues. If you keep the suspensions in the fridge they should last about 2 weeks.

I don't usually get compounded medications for that reason - the smallest amount most pharmacies can do is still way too much for our rats. One time, a vet wanted to charge me $60 for 30ml of compounded flavored Baytril when I only needed less than 5ml! I've never used Clavamox for my rats personally but when I use Baytril/Doxy I get the injectable liquids or tablets as it is less money and less waste. From there I mix it in syrup or food as needed.


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## JessyGene (Feb 27, 2012)

I guess it doesn't really help you now but, when I got clavamox for my rat the vet divided the powder up into 4 little bottles and let me add the water to the bottles individually. Once the water was added they would last for about 8 days in the fridge. I still ended throwing up wasting a bunch but at least i got 4 times more out of it than i would have.


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## AK26 (Oct 9, 2012)

Definitely will ask for powder/tablet form next time. I wish I realized at the vets office I was getting so much more than I can use, but I was too distraught over his health  Little irritated she didn't suggest that as I've mentioned to her money is a big issue for me now. Oh well, live and learn. Thanks for the advice.

The baytril and doxy she said they don't charge for suspending in the grenadine at least. I checked prices for tablets online and her prices seem consistent with that. However, I'm thinking if I ever need to buy again I still will ask for tablet. 

Jaguar, when you says suspensions last two weeks in the fridge, are you talking about the clavamox or suspending antibiotics in general? I'm confused because it says "10/24/13" as the expiration date. Really hard for me to believe the suspension will last that long. The baytril she gave as a 3-4 week supply.


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