My dog is throwing up while on Flagyl for a bacterial infection. Why?

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!

This could be normal but if Macho is not eating, not feeling much better, and is still vomiting, he needs to go back for a recheck and a Parvovirus test. He may need to be on IV fluids and anti-nausea medications as well if he doesn't seem to be improving within the next few hours. Since he is so little, it is much better to be safe and take him in for a recheck to make sure Parvovirus or something else serious is not going on. Hope that helps and good luck!

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!

It is certainly possible that the flagyl is causing an allergic reaction. You may want to skip the next dose and see if the possible hives go away. It is also possible that the bumps could be the lymphoma presenting in a different way. Please call your veterinarian to discuss what they would like you to do.

It could be that the diarrhea worsening is independent of the metronidazole as this drug does not help all cases of diarrhea, dependent on the cause. But since it is new it would be best to stop until you can speak with your vet. Has your kitty had a work up for these symptoms? Chronic vomiting and diarrhea are common symptoms of several things, but most notably GI disease. It would be abnormal for a cat to need chronic medication for vomiting unless there is a disease process there. Just to help a little, a work up for an older kitty with these signs could include bloodwork with thyroid testing, an abdominal ultrasound, and sampling if needed (dependent on ultrasound). If there is an underlying disease that can be treated your kitty may feel better and need less medications eventually. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Some dogs that have an underlying disease like inflammatory bowel disease do need long term antibiotic use, but it is best to have a diagnosis before continuing medications long term for two reasons: one is that antibiotic usage can sometimes mask the underlying problem, and the other is that there can be effects on the gastrointestinal flora. There are many diseases that could cause chronic diarrhea including a food intolerance, pancreatitis, or inflammatory bowel disease as stated above. I would recommend talking to your veterinarian to see if other tests or treatments are recommended at this point to try to diagnose the problem - some additional tests might include a pancreatic lipase test, cobalamin/folate, abdominal ultrasound or even obtaining intestinal biopsy samples to try to determine what might be causing chronic diarrhea. You might also want to talk to your veterinarian about a hypoallergenic food trial.

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!