General Pet Drug Terminology & Abbreviations

Abbreviations should be used as little as possible to avoid confusion with drug dosing but the following are commonly used by vets  when prescribing drugs;

Ad lib – To give free access to

amp. - Ampoule

B.I.D. – Twice a day

Cap. - Capsule

g – Gram

h - Hour

I.M. - Intramuscular

I.P. - Intraperitoneal

I.V. - Intravenous

m² - Square meters

mg - Milligrams

ml - ­Milliliters

P.O. – Per Os

q – every eg. q8hrs is every 8 hours

Q.I.D. -  Four times a day

S.C. - Subcutaneous

Susp. - Suspension

Tab. - Tablet

T.I.D. – Three times a day

If in any doubt as to what dose to give your pet, always check with your prescribing vet.