My dog has diarrhea and vomiting after taking Metacam. Is this normal?

It could be a side effect of the medication or it could be related to something else like stress. I recommend to call your vet today and follow their recommendations. A bland diet may also help. Please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello. As a general rule of thumb, we will begin to see gastrointestinal problems with Metacam if a dog receives 4-5 times the regular therapeutic dose. In Louis' case, he is just at that point. His gums look to be a nice pink color, but he may still be experiencing a fairly intensive gastroenteritis. He may need some stomach protectants & anti-nausea medication to help him get over this, so please call your veterinarian as soon as you can. He should feel much better once he has some medication to treat his symptoms. I hope Louis is feeling better soon & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

This class of medication can cause damage to the lining of the stomach and intestines. This appears to be the case for Kingston. It's good that you stopped the medication and I would not give it again until you are able to talk with your vet. The damage done to the stomach and intestines takes a while to resolve, so it's understandable that she is still experiencing some issues. It may take a couple of weeks until this is fully resolved. This does not appear to be serious at this time, so it's best to continue feeding him small meals. It's best if you can break the meals into multiple small meals throughout the day. These conditions actually heal better when there is food in the stomach, but they will definitely feel nauseous with moderate to large meals. I hope that helps and Kingston gets better soon.

That may result in gastrointestinal signs such as vomiting, diarrhoea even with fresh or digested blood in it (due to ulcers) or may lead to kidney failure ( which can happen acutely). Metacam is a liquid and gets rapidly absorbed ( so make her sick is usually not very useful). If you notice any of signs such as vomiting ,diarrhoea ,lethargy ,depression ,inappetence,increased drinking level increase urination or complete cessation of it, then I would recommend (even after several hours or few days from ingestion) to take her to your veterinarian for a check up.

Meloxicam can cause diarrhea as a side effect, so I do think this could be the cause of Jacob’s diarrhea. I’d give him a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken (no bones) and white rice in small amounts several times a day for a couple of days. If this helps, then slowly add back in his normal diet. Giving his vet a call in the morning is a good idea. I hope this helps!

If a veterinary consultation is not an option, I would suggest to start feeding with a bland diet based on boiled chicken and rice in small portion every 6 hours for the following 48hours. Then gradually reintroduce the normal diet over 5 days. I would definitively recommend a veterinary check up if the signs persist or you notice vomiting, lethargy or inappetence. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

It is possible that he is feeling nauseous from the Flagyl....that daily dose for a 23 lb dog is often split into two daily doses. It is also possible that he may have a stomach upset/or even an ulcer from the Novox, especially if it was given on an empty stomach. NSAIDs do have the potential of causing vomiting and diarrhea in sensitive dogs. A bland diet of boiled rice and chicken for 3-5 days plus a stomach coating medication called sucralfate daily for a few days +/- an antacid such as famotidine + subcutaneous fluids and bloodwork could be appropriate next steps. I’d recommend returning to your veterinarian or seeking a new vet if you are more comfortable with a new vet. Hopefully the lameness is no longer an issue and with relatively conservative management the vomiting and diarrhea can be resolved as well. Good luck!