My dog has a delicate stomach. Can I continue Tagamet long-term?

In the long term, there is a thought the chronic famotidine use may decrease some nutrient absorption and lead to excessive gastric acid production with possible esophageal acid reflux if it is discontinued. However, most internal medicine specialists still preferentially recommend famotidine over other antacids (such as omeprazole/Prilosec) for chronic use as it is a bit more "mild" in its mechanism of action. I know you mentioned changing foods, but consider discussing a diet trial with a hydrolyzed "hypoallergenic" diet with Brody's vet. If he has a degree of a food allergy or inflammatory bowel disease causing his vomiting and skipping of meals, these hydrolyzed diets fed for 2-3 months can remove a lot of antigenic stimulation in the GI tract and potentially prevent a lot of GI upset.

It can be a life-long medication in some dogs, if needed to control his symptoms. Side effects are usually minimal, and this is normally considered a very safe medication in dogs. I would recommend talking with his regular veterinarian about this to see if he/she thinks that Alfie will need to be on it for life, since this will depend on the specifics of his medical condition and response to treatment so far :)

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would talk to your vet about daily anti-nausea medicine like Cerenia (from your vet) or famotidine (Pepcid- over the counter). They can give you a dose and how often to give. Good luck and kisses to Tommy!

It is ok for Lily to remain on those antacids long term. I suspect there are reasons your vet considers the surgery to be risky (brachycephalic breed, senior age, complicated nature of the surgery, possible bloodwork issues). It is great that they have stopped the vomiting. Putting her on an intestinal diet that is easy of the GI tract such as Hills i/d dry and canned or Royal Canin GI dry and canned may help as well. Good luck!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! We do use Tum for certain conditions in dogs. Rarely for tummy upset, usually for low calcium. The most common antacid used in animals is pepcid (famotidine). The medication and dosing has to be prescribed by a Vet that has examined your dog. I hope this helps1

In the past in the UK we used to prescribe Antepsin syrup or tablets for gastric ulcers, in addition to analgesic medications (no antinflammatories !) and antiacids. It used to be a human medication so needed informed consent from the owners and compliance to the cascade (it could be used in cases where no other authorised animal medication was available). Unfortunately then there was a shortage in his availability and other medications had to be used on their own.. Antepsin, or sulcralfate, created a barrier between the ulcer and the acid content of the stomach. The antiacids now are still used, and their active drug is either omeprazole and/or ranitidine.

Hello. Sildenafil does not cause any known stomach issues, so no real precautions are needed, but it never hurts to give a medication with a little food ( unless it specifically says to give on an empty stomach ). Sildenafil has no know precautions like this. Kidney failure definitely can cause nausea & vomiting. You may need to discuss the use of anti-nausea medications such as Cerenia to keep Memi comfortable. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.