Are my dog's meds causing her to drink, be lethargic, or have diarrhea?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Adrian. I am sorry to hear about all of her recent troubles. I would give her water through a syringe in small frequent amounts. One of the main medications for heart failure is furosemide (lasix). This is a diuretic to pull fluid off the lungs. This medication is life saving, but can cause dehydration and secondary kidney damage. So it is important for her to stay hydrated. Hopefully her attitude and appetite will pick up once the medications are working. Her breathing rate and effort are big indicators if the heart drugs are working. Her respiratory rate should be less than 30 breaths/min when resting if the fluid has resolved. She should also breathe easily and without obvious effort. The diarrhea can be secondary to the heart disease itself or even the stress of illness. Hopefully it will resolve with the new medication. If she is struggling to breathe, isn't eating or drinking well tomorrow and the diarrhea persists, she will need to see her veterinarian again. It is important to carefully monitor her blood work and blood pressure after starting heart medications. I hope this information helps!

It is very likely she is having an adverse reaction to the Cephalexin. This is sometimes seen in pets that are sensitive to this medictaion. Notify your vet and then get her symptoms treated with medications prescribed by your vet. She will then need to go on a different class of antibiotic to treat her current condition and hopefully she will tolerate that one better. For now, its best to offer her small amounts of boiled plain chicken or lean ground turkey and rice to try and entice her to eat a little until you can get her seen by your vet for further care. I hope that your furry friend Dahlia feels better soon! Best of luck and take care.

Hi there! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The clinical symptoms you describe are concerning for something serious going on with Daisy. She could be acting like that from perhaps severe dehydration and hypovolemia (lack of volume in her circulatory system) from so much diarrhea and recent history of anorexia and not drinking water. She could have also being exposed to some toxin that is affecting both her gastrointestinal and neurologic systems. I highly recommend you take her to a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment as soon as possible. Good luck!

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. I'm sorry that Haus is having this issue. I would not be concerned about the water consumption increase. I have not heard of anyone saying that has happened with a dog on doxycycline but every animal is an individual and can affect them differently. Either way, the extra water will not harm him. If the diarrhea persists for more than 36 hours then I think a vet visit would be warranted as that can be a side effect of the medication. Here is a link to an article about Doxycycline use in pets: ( https://www.petplace.com/article/drug-library/drug-library/library/doxycycline-vibramycin-for-dogs-and-cats/ ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Loss of appetite and lethargy can be observed with many conditions such as gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, kidney disease, pancreatitis, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have Dexter evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for these possibilities and others depending on the findings on exam. Treatment would be based on findings. Good luck and have a great day! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

Yes it would be best to have her seen. Decreased appetite and lethargy are very common symptoms of many diseases, many of which may be treatable. The best way to know what is going on (diagnosis), how serious it is, and how to help her feel better is to have her seen. Most likely your vet will recommend some senior bloodwork and xrays to start. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I’m sorry to hear this is going on with your dog! A urinary tract infection can certainly make Red lethargic and not feel like himself. The trembling is probably due to her discomfort from the infection. She may also be having a flare up of her back injury as well. It’s hard to say if Red’s kidneys are involved at this point. The only way to know for sure ifnher kidneys are compromised is to run a blood test to check her renal values. This would probably be a good idea to do if you are concerned. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.