My dog is constipated, confused, won't drink after antibiotics.

I'm sorry to hear that Sunny has been sick! It's actually quite common for dogs to go a few days without a bowel movement when they have had diarrhea - this is because it takes time for the intestinal tract to "fill up" again with normal stool, once the diarrhea resolves. So it's likely that this is a good sign :) As long as Sunny is acting normal and not straining to defecate, I wouldn't worry - she will have a bowel movement when she is ready, probably sometime in the next 24-48 hours. If you didn't give the medications two hours apart, this is okay - some vets do recommend giving oral meds like this at different times to avoid any issues with absorption, but it sounds like Sunny did just fine regardless. This would not cause constipation or any other issues. I would not recommend stopping either of these medications without talking to your veterinarian first, as it's generally important to finish out the entire course of prescribed meds in order to make sure that the problem is completely resolved. If you're concerned, you could certainly call your vet today and ask about continuing the medications vs. stopping them - but they should not be causing Sunny to be constipated, so based on your description I don't see any reason to take her off of them.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Indy. No, diarrhea is not a common side effects from these medications. Metronidazole, in particular, is used to treat diarrhea. I recommend contacting his veterinarian with the update on his new symptoms. If he is otherwise doing well, it may be recommended to fast him for a period of time to allow his GI tract to rest. I hope this information helps!

Not typically. Metronidazole does not have any listed side effects like that. Some common side effects are: Nausea or vomiting. Diarrhea. Drooling. Gagging or regurgitation. Loss of appetite. Lethargy or fatigue. Blood or darkening of urine. Fever. So, If the stools are very dark brown that is not really a problem, but black, that is serious and you should call your vet. Black typically means there is bleeding somewhere in the GI tract. If he is straining to defecate he may be constipated but straining can also be from diarrhea (if the stools are very soft/watery). I really don't have quite enough information to be helpful so I think it is probably best if you call your vet. If you want to do a one on one consultation with one our vets where we can chat back and forth then we may be able to help you better.

I would call your vet to see if it could be a side effect of the medications prescribed. Remember, if no food goes in, there won’t be stool to come out, so I think the biggest problem is not wanting to eat/nausea. Some medications can cause this to happen. Or there could be a second issue causing the poor appetite. You can try bland human foods like boiled chicken breast and cooked white rice to entice Lucky to eat.

I'm sorry to hear that Nicco hasn't been feeling well, but I'm glad to hear that you've already sought veterinary care. It is most commonly recommended to give antibiotics with food since this will lessen the chance of developing an upset stomach with vomiting and diarrhea as a side effect of the antibiotics. In this case, however, Nicco is already having diarrhea and experiencing a loss of appetite. It should be just fine to give him the antibiotics (metronidazole or Flagyl, I assume, given the bloody diarrhea) without food until he is eating normally again. You can also ask your vet about offering Nicco a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken and white rice since he is refusing to eat the Royal Canin gastrointestinal low fat diet. If your veterinarian approves this plan, a typical rule of thumb is to feed 1 cup of a 50:50 chicken/rice mixture for every 10 pounds of body weight per day, divided into 3-4 smaller meals. If Nicco is still refusing to eat, experiencing bloody diarrhea, or begins to vomit by tomorrow, I recommend calling your vet since he may need to be reevaluated with additional diagnostic testing or supportive treatments. I hope this helps and that Nicco feels better soon!

Us PetCoaches don't have access to your previously asked questions, so I am not quite sure what is going on with Cookie. Cotrimoxazole can cause GI upset and it may not be the best antibiotic for Cookie. Metronidazole is an good antibiotic for GI bacteria, but it can cause severe side effects if used in high doses over the day (I generally prescribe it for twice daily usage). Continued vomiting despite treatment means that there may be something else going on. Antinausea medications will help, but only if things like a GI obstruction have been completely ruled out. I would recommend you discuss the ongoing vomiting with your vet, or use a Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach Consult so that we can evaluate the entire case, diagnostics, and current treatments to help you decide what to try next with your vet.

Poor Benzo! Sometimes after they have diarrhea it takes a little while to build up a full bowel movement so he could be straining simply because he has the urgency to go but there isn’t much there. On the other hand, with the hair he could be constipated. Either way fiber will be beneficial. You can give him 1/4 teaspoon of canned pumpkin twice a day to help balance his GI tract. If the chicken and rice, has any chicken broth or water in it then that could be why he is having decrease water consumption. If not, you could certainly add some water to his meal to help him drink more water. I am concerned that he is more lethargic. Since he is so small, I would have your vet take a look at him to assess his hydration and make sure he doesn’t have any parasites or anything more serious going on like parvo. Your vet will be able to give him some fluids if needed and prescribe his some medicine to help make him feel better. I hope this helps and he feels better really soon.