My dog stopped Atopica. Is it normal for her to still have diarrhea?

Hi there and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I sorry Buddha (love the name!) is experiencing some diarrhea. Sometimes this can be a side effect of medications, including Atopica. Probiotics and extra fiber can help lessen diarrhea if it is a side effect of the medication. I'd recommended Proviable or FortiFlora for a probiotic and plain canned pumpkin (not the pie filling) for an extra fiber boost on top of his food daily. Diarrhea from Atopica may be transient, lasting only a few days, or sometimes for a few weeks. I would recommended asking Buddha's veterinarian about the dosing change. I cannot legally give advice on drug dosing over the internet. I hope this helps and thanks again for your post!

It takes 3-4weeks for the lining of the gut to fully repair and regenerate. If you have found a food which helped, I recommend you continue to feed this for a month to allow everything to settle down. I would also recommend continuing with a fibre/probiotic supplement such as fortiflora and in rare cases prescription medication may be required to regulate bowel motion also

Hello. Atopica does not typically have a side effect of lethargy. Overdoses or adverse reactions can result in lethargy, so if she continues to be letthargic I would have her checked. Your vet may need to check her white blood cell levels or her liver values. I hope she feels better soon!

When my patients have diarrhea after antibiotics I will usually prescribe a canine specific probiotic to help get the good bacteria loaded back up in the GI tract. My favorite is Proviable and it also comes with a paste to help firm up the stools. My second favorite is Fortiflora. I would encourage you to call your veterinarian and discuss the possibility of using one of these products. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon.

Hello. It might take 3-5 days minimum to see if the diet will work. Often, when we suspect a problem is due to a food sensitivity, the food trial is 6-8 weeks. So, it can take time to see if the diarrhea subsides. Just make sure she is drinking plenty of water & not losing weight. Also, make sure you communicate to your vet that the diarrhea did not respond to the metronidazole. She may want to continue testing, switch to another antibiotic or medication. I would also start her on a good probiotic for dogs like Proviable or FortiFlora, both should be available at most pet retailers. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Apoquel will not work if the dog has a skin infection. I recommend anytime that the apoquel has stopped working that the dog be taken to the Vet for an exam to check for a bacterial or yeast infection. Most dogs with allergies need to be on a special diet, apoquel or cytopoint, an antihistamine and an Omega 3 supplement to keep the dog comfortable, but flare ups are bound to happen, we just hope less frequently. As for the bloody diarrhea, it is likely unrelated to her skin and the apoquel but it is fine that you stopped it. Especially if it wasn't working. The blood indicated inflammation in the colon. Common causes of diarrhea are: intestinal parasites, viral or bacterial infections, dietary indiscretion, pancreatitis, food allergy/intolerance, reaction to a new food/treat/table food. If the diarrhea is bad I would fast her for 12-24 hours to rest her GI tract then start feeding a bland diet of boiled chicken or hamburger with rice. Feed 1 cup per 20 lbs per day until 2 normal stools. I wish you the best!

Hi there, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Diarrhea is not typically a symptom of tickborne disease so this is probably unrelated. Sometimes diarrhea can be a result of antibiotics, but usually it starts earlier in the course of treatment, so the timing doesn't seem related to that either. More likely she got into something that upset her tummy. As long as she's feeling fine, probiotics are a great idea, and you can feed a bland diet of boiled chicken with white rice for a few days. Once her stools improve, mix the rice/chicken mixture with her kibble to gradually switch her back. If the diarrhea doesn't improve over the next few days, and certainly if she starts acting sick (decreased appetite, vomiting, lethargy, etc), then a vet visit is in order. Hope this helps!