Final answer:
A 50-lb dog needs to be given a 10-day course of antibiotics at 10 mg/lb b.i.d. (twice a day). At this dosage, the dog should receive a total of 10,000 mg over the course of the treatment, which means 40 of the 250-mg tablets need to be dispensed.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is asking to calculate the total number of 250-mg antibiotic tablets required for a 50-lb (22.7-kg) dog that needs a dosage of 10 mg/lb b.i.d. (twice a day) for a 10-day course. First, we calculate the daily dosage in milligrams:
Daily dosage = 10 mg/lb × 50 lbs = 500 mg per day.
Since the medication needs to be given twice a day, the total daily mg would be:
Total daily dosage = 500 mg × 2 = 1000 mg per day.
Now, we determine how many days worth of medication is needed:
Total medication needed for 10 days = 1000 mg/day × 10 days = 10,000 mg for the course.
The number of tablets needed is therefore:
Number of tablets = total medication needed / strength of each tablet
Number of tablets = 10,000 mg / 250 mg/tablet = 40 tablets.
So, the veterinarian must dispense 40 tablets to the dog owner.