Dog on metronidazole won't eat. Can probiotics help his appetite?

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Yes, you can give her the pill with some peanut butter. Ideally she should continue to eat her food so if Sasha does not want to eat her food consistently, she may warrant a visit to the veterinarian. Otherwise, she should be ok! I hope this is helpful!

Yes, Metronidazole is safe to give pets that are less than 6 months old. In refractory cases, it is often recommended to also treat with a dewormer (i.e. Fenbendazole). I really like Foriflora probiotic, here is a link --> https://www.chewy.com/purina-pro-plan-veterinary-diets/dp/50029 In cases where a pet is positive for Giardia but not symptomatic, we may not treat, so its best to ask your veterinarian for advice before moving forward. Also if your pet is constantly getting Giardia, then I would highly consider doing a bloodwork check to ensure there is no immune system issue that is making your pet more prone to infections. I wish you all the best in managing your pet Jackson's Giardia. Take care!

Sorry Jake is having problems. Metronidazole is often used to treat diarrhea in dogs. It is not common for metronidazole to cause vomiting. However, the underlying CAUSE of the diarrhea is usually some form of gastroenteritis which is inflammation of the stomach and intestine. Gastroenteritis often includes vomiting and can occur for many reasons including: bacterial imbalance, viral infections such as parvovirus (Jake is too old for this to be a concern) ingesting non-food items such as trash or mulch inflammatory bowel disease cancer in the GI tract intestinal parasites At higher doses, metronidazole can cause "grogginess" or an unsteady gait. If he is showing those signs, discontinue the metronidazole. Correct, I would hold off on Pepto, but Pepcid AC is fine. I hope I've answered your questions, and I apologize that we did not get to your question sooner. Please feel free to post again if you still have questions or concerns with Jake. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. Yes, metronidazole can cause diarrhea. If you are seeing diarrhea or vomiting while on this antibiotic I would recommend discontinuing the drug and contacting the prescribing veterinarian to discuss this further. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I would add in a probiotics such as Purina fortiflora as well.

Hello, thank you for your question about Tony. Flagyl (metronidazole) is an anti-diarrheal medication that also has antibiotic/antiparasitic properties. The side effects that you found such as decreased appetite and diarrhea are usually associated with these properties. In general these side effects are less likely and the benefit of giving the Flagyl. I would recommend continuing the Flagyl as directed. Additionally you could offer Tony a bland more palatable diet. Some options include a canned food diet that is designed for GI health. You could also try home cooking food such as boiled chicken/hamburger. If Tony's inappetance continues I would recommend having him rechecked by your veterinarian for further evaluation and diagnostic workup. Hope this helps, good luck!

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!

It would not be a good idea to stop metronidazole now and the symptoms may come back. Please, complete 5 days of treatment and then double-check with your vet that it is ok to stop the medication. The dose of metronidazole Leo was prescribed is ok (100mg every 12hrs).