Why is my elderly dog confused and losing balance after Metronidazole?

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!

Poor Maxine, it sounds like she is very sensitive to medication which can commonly occur. Metronidazole can be hard on any dog's system especially depending on dose. In an ideal world you would speak to the prescribing vet before stopping the medication as they know the story regarding why they have prescribed it. But if this is not possible we must use best evidence, and in this case it would seem considering her history that the drug is causing the head tremors. These could get worse the more she takes the medication. Some year in her bottom is not going to do her serious harm immediately and there are other treatment options. I would try and speak to your vet as soon as you can but in the mean time don't give any more medication. If her condition starts to deteriorate take her to an emergency vet in case there is something else going on. When you speak to your vet make sure and explain how sensitive she has been in the past and with trial and error​ you will find a way to treat her.

Some animals will have neurologic toxicity with metronidazole. I am suspicious that this may be causing her symptoms. However, other things could be causing it as well. If she continues to have problems this evening especially if they worsen then I would recommend she be seen tonight. If she seems to improve then I would see your regular veterinarian tomorrow. I would not give any more metronidazole until you see your veterinarian. Best of luck and I hope she improves soon! Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Lethargy (loss of energy) following a dose of metronidazloe is a sign of a possible drug reaction. Her biting everything could be a sign of discomfort? This is quite an unusual symptom, so it is hard to say for sure. Most of the time a reaction to Metronidazole involves any of the following: neurological symptoms (i.e. seizure, head tilt, etc), stomach upset (vomiting and or diarrhea) and lethargy. I would suggests calling your vet in the morning to ask if the medication should be continued. They likely will have you stop the medication and try an alternative one. Also, I would make sure you are giving this medication with a full meal, to reduce adverse reactions. I hope that everything works out well for your pet Daisy. Best wishes and take care.

If the head jerking is continuous then I would recommend taking Casper in to the vet to be checked out. Some pets can have an adverse reaction to metronidazole that causes neurological symptoms. If Casper had only one episode and it resolved quickly and uneventfully then I would not worry about it too much.

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!

Hi there, The dose of metonidazole your dog is on is well within range and eye changes isn't a listed side effect. I would suspect whatever is going on with Katryn's eye is due to something else as you mentioned. I know she's been at the vet a lot but I would recommend taking her back in for an eye exam today. Changes in the appearance of the eyes typically are serious and you'll want to get her started on medications ASAP. I hope that helps and thanks for using Pet Coach!