My dog is on Piroxicam. Could her diarrhea be a side effect?

Piroxocam is an antiinflammatory drug that is in a similar class as carprofen, aspirin, ibuprofen and others. These drugs all have varying potential for adverse effects and stomach irritation and ulcers is one of the bigger concerns. Whenever we prescribe drugs we weigh the risk versus the benefit. In Ribzy's case, Piroxicam is a good drug for treating the suspected TCC. It also has good evidence for safe doses that will prevent the potential side-effects. In her case, the benefit of taking this drug is worth the small risk of the reversible side-effects. The Pepcid may help to prevent the side effects. This can be given at anytime, because it will take a while to actually work. Just make sure it is given as prescribed. The Piroxicam should given with food. I recommend giving it in her food, or just before she starts to eat. I hope that helps and Ribzy gets better soon. It looks like you are taking great care of her, so keep with it and and hopefully this tumor will be a problem of the past in the near future.

Hi and thank you for your post on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! One of the most common side effects of pain medications used in dogs can be vomiting and/or diarrhea. There can be other causes for diarrhea as well such as parasites, bacterial or viral infections, IBD, food allergy, or organ dysfunction, so I would talk to your veterinarian if the diarrhea becomes more frequent or gets worse. Sometimes plain canned pumpkin (not the pie filling) in the food can help with transient diarrhea. You may try that and see if it gets any better. I hope this helps and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

It is hard to say if the diarrhea is related to Summer’s respiratory issues or not. If it was parasites causing the problem, they certainly could be related. Also, sometimes certain antibiotics can upset the gut flora (the normal bacteria in the gut) and can cause diarrhea. Regardless of the cause of the diarrhea, starting Summer on metronidazole and a probiotic is a good idea. This is the typical treatment for diarrhea. I can understand that having your dog on two different antibiotics can be concerning but sometimes it is necessary. Metronidazole is great for diarrhea because it specifically targets the type of bacteria that overgrows causing the diarrhea. At this point I would recommend continuing the current therapy your vet prescribed. The diarrhea should start to resolve in 3-5 days. If this is not the case you may want to have a recheck at your vet. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

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!

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.

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!

I would recommend calling your vet. They should be able to prescribe a different pain medication that may not upset her GI tract so much or they can give you medication to help treat the diarrhea and that will help her tolerate the meds better. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.