Meds A-Z
Cephalexin
Detailed information about Cephalexin
Pet Owner Quick Guide
Start here: what this medicine is for, what it does, and when it's usually needed.
Usually used for:
For the treatment of secondary superficial bacterial pyoderma in dogs caused by susceptible strains of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius.
What it does:
Cephalosporin antibiotic used for susceptible bacterial infections (often skin/soft tissue).
When it's needed:
Avoid in pets with known cephalosporin allergy.
Call your vet sooner if you notice:
- Avoid in pets with known cephalosporin allergy.
Commonly reported reactions:
- (2 reports)
- (1 reports)
- (1 reports)
What to ask your vet today:
- Is this medicine the right fit for my pet’s current symptoms?
- Which warning signs mean I should call back right away?
- How should I handle missed doses or refusal to take the medicine?
Cephalexin
Drug type: Generic ingredient • Branded profile • FDA branded products available
Species: Both
Manufacturer: MSK
Quick Facts
Official label facts first, then secondary summaries. Marketing content is separated below.
- https://animaldrugsatfda.fda.gov/adafda/views/#/home/previewsearch/141326 · official_label · FDA application profile
- https://animaldrugsatfda.fda.gov · fda_animal_drugs · Medication usage source
Warnings / Contraindications
Avoid in pets with known cephalosporin allergy.
- High: Avoid in pets with known cephalosporin allergy.
- https://animaldrugsatfda.fda.gov · fda_animal_drugs · Contraindication source
Adverse Reactions
Snapshot first, detailed rows second. This section summarizes signal data and is not a diagnosis.
Tap or hover a reaction to see what it means in plain language.
Most Reported Reactions
| Reaction | Cases | Species | Serious cases |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Cat, Dog | 1 | |
| 1 | Cat | 1 | |
| 1 | Cat | 1 | |
| 1 | Dog | 1 | |
| 1 | Cat | 1 | |
| 1 | Dog | 1 | |
| 1 | Cat | 1 | |
| 1 | Cat | 1 |
Species coverage: Cat (24) Dog (8)
View detailed reaction table
| Reaction | Species | Seriousness | Frequency | Reports |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dog | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Dog | Serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Dog | Serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Dog | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Serious | - | 1 | |
| Dog | Serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Serious | - | 1 | |
| Dog | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Dog | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Dog | Serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Non-serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Serious | - | 1 | |
| Cat | Non-serious | - | 1 |
- https://api.fda.gov/animalandveterinary/event.json · adverse_reaction · openFDA case USA-USFDACVM-2025-US-055018
Storage & Handling
Store at room temperature.
Documents
Official label facts are separated from secondary summaries.
Official documents: 2 • Secondary summaries: 0
- UCM318614.pdf · FOI
- Rilexine® · SPL
No source yet.
Promotional Materials (Marketing)
This content is marketing material and not clinical guidance.
No marketing assets are linked yet.
No source yet.
Technical appendix (vet reference)
Canonical medication sections are above. This legacy block remains available for deeper cross-reference without cluttering the primary workflow.
At a Glance
Quick facts and links to official labeling and safety signals.
- Medication catalog: Source PetWisePlus | Refreshed Feb 12, 2026, 7:40 PM UTC
-
Animal Drugs @ FDA:
Source FDA
| Refreshed Feb 16, 2026, 11:00 AM UTC
Applications/products are imported from FDA export data.
-
Animal Drugs @ FDA previews:
Source FDA
| Refreshed Feb 9, 2026, 3:05 AM UTC
Label highlights/doc links are fetched from FDA preview endpoints.
-
Animal Drug Product Listing Directory (NDC):
Source FDA
| Refreshed Feb 16, 2026, 11:00 AM UTC
Package/product NDCs from FDA’s electronic listing directory (XLS).
- openFDA reaction terms: Source FDA openFDA | Refreshed Feb 16, 2026, 11:02 AM UTC
- openFDA case summaries: Source FDA openFDA | Refreshed Feb 9, 2026, 3:19 AM UTC
Diagnosis-code mappings are not available for this medication yet.
Counseling and Monitoring Highlights
Global Pet owner/Vet mode is controlled in the header. This section avoids duplicate in-page persona tabs.
- Avoid in pets with known cephalosporin allergy. (Contraindication, High)
Identifiers & Packages
Normalized identifiers (NDC/NADA/ANADA) and package metadata from regulator listings.
| Package NDC | Product NDC | Form / Route | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 51311-026-10 | 51311 | - | |
| 51311-036-10 | 51311 | - | |
| 51311-046-10 | 51311 | - | |
| 73309-179-01 | 73309 | - | |
| 73377-243-01 | 73377 | - |
Enriched Documents
Documents are tiered by source trust: Official, Clinical, Manufacturer, Marketing.
-
UCM318614.pdf
• FOI summary • Official
• Feb. 22, 2024
FDA FOI summary for application 141326
Data Sources & Revision History
Every non-trivial field is expected to include provenance and update timestamps.
- storage_handling: Store at room temperature. (Clinical, 2026-02-12)
- contraindications: Avoid in pets with known cephalosporin allergy. (Official, 2026-02-12)
- side_effects: GI upset, decreased appetite. (Official, 2026-02-12)
- usage: Cephalosporin antibiotic used for susceptible bacterial infections (often skin/soft tissue). (Official, 2026-02-12)
- side_effects updated 2026-02-12 19:40 by etl_backfill • Backfilled from existing medication fields
- contraindications updated 2026-02-12 19:40 by etl_backfill • Backfilled from existing medication fields
- usage updated 2026-02-12 19:40 by etl_backfill • Backfilled from existing medication fields
FDA Products & Applications (Animal Drugs @ FDA)
Official sponsor/proprietary-name/application-status records linked by active ingredient.
| Product | Sponsor | Application | Status | Published |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Rilexine®
RX
Cephalexin
Chewable Tablets
• Oral
|
Virbac AH, Inc. | NADA 141-326 | Approved | Feb 22, 2024 |
Data source: FDA Animal Drugs @ FDA (public search export).
What It's For (FDA Label Highlights)
Extracted from FDA Animal Drugs @ FDA product labeling. Always confirm details with your veterinarian.
Composition / specifications
FDA page: Open in Animal Drugs @ FDA
Official Documents (FDA)
Direct links to FDA-hosted PDFs and SPL packages (when available).
-
FOI UCM318614.pdf
Summary
For the treatment of secondary superficial bacterial pyoderma in dogs caused by susceptible strains of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius.
- Rilexine® (ZIP)
FDA page: Open in Animal Drugs @ FDA
Usage
Cephalosporin antibiotic used for susceptible bacterial infections (often skin/soft tissue).
Source: FDA Animal Drugs @ FDA • Reference
Contraindications
Avoid in pets with known cephalosporin allergy.
Side Effects
GI upset, decreased appetite.
Source: FDA openFDA • Reference
Top Reported Reactions (openFDA)
Aggregated reaction terms from FDA openFDA reports (not verified; does not prove causation).
Data source: FDA openFDA Animal & Veterinary adverse event reports.
Adverse Event Case Summaries (openFDA)
These are individual FDA adverse event reports. They are unverified and do not prove the medication caused the reaction.
Dog, ['Terrier - Bull - American Pit', 'Dog (unknown)'], Female, 8 month, 32.205 kilogram • Drug: MSK, Unassigned, Oral • Reactions: Head twitching, Abnormal movement NOS, Injection site tenderness • Outcome: Ongoing
- Report ID: USA-USFDACVM-2025-US-055018
- Serious AE: No
- Treated For AE: No
- Sex: Female
- Age: 8.00 Month
- Weight: 32.205 Kilogram
- Case-reported brand: MSK
- Case-reported manufacturer: MSK
- Route: Oral
- Form: Unassigned
Dog, Shih Tzu, Male, 7.49 year, 8.61 kilogram • Drug: MSK, Unknown • Reactions: Not eating, Glazed eye, Not drinking, Weakness, Unclassifiable adverse event… • Outcome: Recovered/Normal
- Report ID: USA-USFDACVM-2025-US-055776
- Serious AE: Yes
- Treated For AE: No
- Sex: Male
- Age: 7.49 Year
- Weight: 8.610 Kilogram
- Case-reported brand: MSK
- Case-reported manufacturer: MSK
- Route: Unknown
Dog, ['Terrier - Bull - American Pit', 'Dog (unknown)'], Female, 5 year, 22.14 kilogram • Drug: MSK, Unassigned, Oral • Reactions: Epidermal collarette • Outcome: Ongoing
- Report ID: USA-USFDACVM-2025-US-055286
- Serious AE: No
- Treated For AE: No
- Sex: Female
- Age: 5.00 Year
- Weight: 22.140 Kilogram
- Case-reported brand: MSK
- Case-reported manufacturer: MSK
- Route: Oral
- Form: Unassigned
Dog, Bulldog - English, Male, 5 year, 32.39 kilogram • Drug: MSK, Unassigned, Oral • Reactions: Lack of efficacy - NOS • Outcome: Ongoing
- Report ID: USA-USFDACVM-2025-US-055184
- Serious AE: Yes
- Treated For AE: Yes
- Sex: Male
- Age: 5.00 Year
- Weight: 32.390 Kilogram
- Case-reported brand: MSK
- Case-reported manufacturer: MSK
- Route: Oral
- Form: Unassigned
Dog, Pinscher - Miniature, Male, 12 year, 12.25 kilogram • Drug: MSK, Oral, Dose: 250 Milligram per animal, Frequency: 24 per hour • Reactions: Medication error NOS, Deafness • Outcome: Recovered with Sequela
- Report ID: USA-USFDACVM-2025-US-054113
- Serious AE: Yes
- Treated For AE: No
- Sex: Male
- Age: 12.00 Year
- Weight: 12.250 Kilogram
- Case-reported brand: MSK
- Case-reported manufacturer: MSK
- Route: Oral
- Dose: 250 Milligram per animal
- Frequency: 24 per hour
Cat, Cat (unknown), Mixed • Drug: MSK, Intravenous • Reactions: Death, Haematochezia, Decreased appetite, Regurgitation, Tiredness (lethargy)… • Outcome: Died, Euthanized, Outcome Unknown
- Report ID: USA-USFDACVM-2025-US-052737
- Serious AE: Yes
- Treated For AE: No
- Sex: Mixed
- Case-reported brand: MSK
- Case-reported manufacturer: MSK
- Route: Intravenous
Cat, Domestic Shorthair, Female, 11 year, 3.18 kilogram • Drug: MSK, Oral • Reactions: Diarrhea, Dilated pupils, Lack of efficacy - NOS, Constipation, Digestive tract stasis… • Outcome: Outcome Unknown
- Report ID: USA-USFDACVM-2024-US-062942
- Serious AE: No
- Treated For AE: No
- Sex: Female
- Age: 11.00 Year
- Weight: 3.180 Kilogram
- Case-reported brand: MSK
- Case-reported manufacturer: MSK
- Route: Oral
Cat, Siamese, Male, 14 month, 5.443 kilogram • Drug: MSK, Unknown • Reactions: Tiredness (lethargy), Inappetence, Itching, Facial swelling (possible allergy), Lip smacking… • Outcome: Ongoing
- Report ID: USA-USFDACVM-2024-US-058046
- Serious AE: No
- Treated For AE: No
- Sex: Male
- Age: 14.00 Month
- Weight: 5.443 Kilogram
- Case-reported brand: MSK
- Case-reported manufacturer: MSK
- Route: Unknown
Data source: FDA openFDA Animal & Veterinary adverse event reports.
Overdose Information
No approved overdose-management text is linked yet. If overdose is suspected, contact a veterinarian or emergency clinic immediately.
Storage & Handling
Store at room temperature.
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