My cat has giardia. Is one-dose secnidazole safe for treatment?

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I would not recommend the albendazole as it has cause a bone marrow toxicosis when used in cats. Very dangerous situation. The current thinking is to treat these cats with fenbendazole & a probiotic like Purina FortFlora or Proviable KP. Check with your vet about switching to the fenbendazole. Take care.

Giardia can only be treated with either Metronidazole or Fenbendazole at the appropriate dose for your cats weight. I would consult your vet for the appropriate dosage for your cat since they have examined him before. Veterinary client patient relationship act says that a pet has to be examined by said vet who prescribed that pet medicaiton. I hope this helps. Best wishes and take care.

No ot is not safe.Metronidazole is excreted in breast milk and it should not be used in lactating animals unless your veterinarian prescribes it. Panacur would be a better choice. You need to consult with your vet on proper treatment of giardiasis in your lactating cat, especially since it is a recurring problem.

Without seeing Z in person, I can't say what is the best course of treatment for him. I'd trust your vet's decision, but if you do have questions, you can always take him into another vet for a second opinion.

It could be that the diarrhea worsening is independent of the metronidazole as this drug does not help all cases of diarrhea, dependent on the cause. But since it is new it would be best to stop until you can speak with your vet. Has your kitty had a work up for these symptoms? Chronic vomiting and diarrhea are common symptoms of several things, but most notably GI disease. It would be abnormal for a cat to need chronic medication for vomiting unless there is a disease process there. Just to help a little, a work up for an older kitty with these signs could include bloodwork with thyroid testing, an abdominal ultrasound, and sampling if needed (dependent on ultrasound). If there is an underlying disease that can be treated your kitty may feel better and need less medications eventually. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I honestly cannot give you the dose information, even if you say you take full responsibility. It is illegal for me to do so, and I could lose my license to practice by giving you that information. I can tell you that metrogyl contains metronidazole, which is used in cats safely. If you are concerned about the dose and want a second opinion, I recommend making another appointment with a vet to discuss this in person with them.

If it were my kitty I would start the metronidazole right away. Metronidazole adverse reactions are not that common and it can at least help with the inflammation of the gut that is caused by the coccidia until the proper dewormer is made available. I hope that your kitty is able to make a full and speedy recovery. Best wishes and take care!