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  #1  
Old October 20th, 2011, 06:47 AM
asunnyheart asunnyheart is offline
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How long will take Metronidazole to stop bloody diarrhea?

A Toronto vet has prescribed Metronidazole because my dog is having bloody diarrhea. My dog weighs 3.9 KG. The dosage is 1/4 of 250mg tablet per 24 hours, for 5 days.

I fed it to my dog about 12 hours ago but the bloody diarrhea continues.

I wonder if this is the correct medication or is the dosage too low? Or maybe I should wait longer until I go back to the vet?

I am also puzzled by another matter. A while ago, my family doctor thought I had an infection and gave me the same medication. I didn't have the infection so I still have the medication at home. I paid less than $30 for 14 500mg capsules, including the pharmacist fee. I also noticed that I can buy a 250mg canine tablet online for $0.69 yesterday.

The vet charged me $16.25 for 1 and a quarter 250mg tablet! Is it reasonable? This is less medication than 1 capsule for human use. I don't know what to think.

Last edited by asunnyheart; October 20th, 2011 at 06:55 AM. Reason: Typo
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Old October 20th, 2011, 09:59 AM
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I'd give it a little longer to work. Metronidazole works quickly but 12 hours is probably too soon to see results. If your dog isn't markedly improved in another 24 hours, I'd at least call the vet back and see if they need to do more tests.

Was there a diagnosis before the metronidazole was prescribed? How much blood is in the stool? Some things to watch for that would indicate a serious problem include your dog going off his food, sitting or lying hunched as though in distress, unexplained panting and/or shaking, white gums, or a black tarry-looking stool. If the gums get white or the stool becomes tarry, treat it as an emergency and get your dog back into a vet ASAP.

The cost difference comes into play because vets are allowed to determine their own markup on medicines. For those drugs that are the same in humans and canines, if you can get your vet to write a prescription for you, you can often fill it at a human pharmacy for much less than you'd pay through the vet clinic.

Good luck and keep us posted on your dog's progress!
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Old October 20th, 2011, 12:01 PM
asunnyheart asunnyheart is offline
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Hi Hazel, thank you so much for your reply. The dog is not panting or having a fever. The blood are fresh and pinky so I assume it comes from colon or big intestine, and not more internal parts. His gum seems to be red, and stool yellowish.

My biggest concern is if the pill is the right one or if the dosage is too low. This is a new clinic and the vet looks very young. I'll report any progress.
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Old October 20th, 2011, 02:04 PM
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The dosage seems to be in the range that's recommended, but your vet may want to adjust it if you don't get results. It's best to start with a dose on the lower effective end and work up since metronidazole can have some nasty side effects.
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  #5  
Old October 20th, 2011, 02:15 PM
asunnyheart asunnyheart is offline
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I just returned from the vet.

It was not fun to have a sick dog wanting to poop every hour day and night. I went back to the clinic and asked for something else. A different vet prescribed Tylosin at 100mg per capsule, two capsule a day. It was the same medicine which worked a year ago for my dog. I am keeping my fingers crossed.
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Old October 20th, 2011, 02:19 PM
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We've had good luck with Tylosin, too. Did they say what they think your dog has?
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Old October 20th, 2011, 03:14 PM
asunnyheart asunnyheart is offline
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They tested my dog for parasites yesterday. The result came back negative.

I was away on Thanksgiving Monday and my dog stayed with my friends and their two dogs. They only fed the dog with turkey meat. Because my dog is almost 14, he could not digest it and was vomiting the next day. The diarrhea wasn't too bad at the beginning so I thought it had passed. Two days ago, I fed the dog with a small amount of marble cheese and Polish sausage, just as a small treat, the vomiting and diarrhea came back very badly. Me bad!!

Just want to share a bit about how I feed the dog with Tylosin since I read that many people found it difficult to administer due to its bitter and foul taste.

I put a small apple with a bit of water in a bowl and put it in microwave for 3 minutes. Then I mixed a small amount apple water with sugar, and dissolve the Tylosin power in it. I then use an eyedropper to drip the liquid into my dog's mouth. He doesn't like it, but he wasn't too upset about it either. When he was eating normally, I often wrap his medication with cooked chicken meat. My dog doesn't chew his food most of the time. He won't even know the medication was inside the meat.

Last edited by asunnyheart; October 20th, 2011 at 05:00 PM.
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  #8  
Old October 20th, 2011, 04:59 PM
asunnyheart asunnyheart is offline
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I hope it is not premature to report the good news.

My dog has not had diarrhea in the last couple of hours after I fed him with Tylosin with apple water. His spirit seems to be up a bit too. He is more alert than he was.

I am making broth with rice and chicken breast. I will also add probiotic into the broth.
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  #9  
Old October 20th, 2011, 05:20 PM
asunnyheart asunnyheart is offline
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Oops, more diarrhea, but at least I didn't see pinkish blood.
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Old October 20th, 2011, 08:08 PM
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Aw, poor guy! Hope the tylosin fixes him up soon! 'No blood' is an improvement, at least.

When he's back to his old self, a few pictures of him would be welcome.
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  #11  
Old October 21st, 2011, 12:51 AM
asunnyheart asunnyheart is offline
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Yes, he is improving. He went to bathroom less frequently although he still has the runs. He is very cooperative in taking his medication.

I tried to post his photo, but it didn't work.

Thanks again!
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  #12  
Old October 21st, 2011, 06:16 AM
asunnyheart asunnyheart is offline
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It has been a difficult night. My dog was trying to get rid of the softly cooked rice and chicken broth the whole night.

He has no fever but he is in pain and bleeding when he tries to pass the little food in his stomach. I am so desperate and thinking about taking him to a more experienced vet to have another look. I have had little sleep in the past two nights.

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Old October 21st, 2011, 07:17 AM
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At this point I think I would stop any food and make your dog fast. Can you give him his meds in a spoon of yogurt? it may help settle his tummy. I feel for you as this is not fun. Are you keeping him hydrated? At 14 I would be concerned too!

You can also use immodium. I have had to resort to this in the past when my boy had serious cases of the runs!

How long did the vet indicate you would see results?
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  #14  
Old October 22nd, 2011, 12:13 AM
asunnyheart asunnyheart is offline
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Thanks Winston for your concerns. I should have fasted my dog sooner.

I took my dog to see another vet again on Friday because the diarrhea was really really bad and he was bleeding every time he tried to poop.

This time, I researched the vets before making an appointment. I finally decided to go to an animal hospital which has one of the highest ratings in Toronto but is not close to home. Not only the pet owners praised the vets as truly caring and efficient, someone even suggested that they should have charged more. That is truly rare to find someone who is professionally competent and reasonably priced.

The vet said that Metronidazole was the correct medication, except the previous dosage was too low. He seems to be knowledgeable and confident. One small thing impressed me immensely. My dog, of course, was very nervous on the examination table, so the vet gave my dog a light kiss on the head. That was a very kind and touching gesture which I had never expected.

The vet gave my dog two shots, one antibiotics, another for controlling the stomach upset and vomiting. Tomorrow, I will continue with Metronidazole at a higher dose, and Sulcrate Suspension which coats the stomach and intestines to correct the imbalance. He also prescribed Cerenia, but if my dog is not vomiting, I may not use. It's hard to push down too many pills.

My dog seems better. He had a couple of spoons of boiled rice water without the rice. I won't give him any solid food today. He still tries to pass diarrhea but less frequently. As a matter of fact, after I got back from the vet, I slept for 5 hours and the dog didn't wake me up.

I am totally exhausted. Hope tomorrow will be a better day.
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  #15  
Old October 22nd, 2011, 12:28 AM
asunnyheart asunnyheart is offline
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Hazel, my dog works as my photography model. Here is a recent shot of him for Halloween:

Link
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  #16  
Old October 22nd, 2011, 06:25 AM
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Good news lets hope he is on the mend! What a cutie pie BTW!
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"UNTIL ONE HAS LOVED AN ANIMAL, PART OF THEIR SOUL REMAINS UNAWAKENED"
He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.
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  #17  
Old October 22nd, 2011, 12:33 PM
asunnyheart asunnyheart is offline
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This morning, as soon as he saw me, the tail went up and wagged rapidly.

He is better. He was able to let me sleep for 6 hours. It means that he didn't have to go for 6 hours.

It is difficult to let him take the pills. In the past, I broke a pill and wrapped it in cooked chicken breast. Today he carefully screens what is in his mouth and spits the whole thing out when he finds the medication.
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  #18  
Old October 22nd, 2011, 01:29 PM
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You could try the pill pockets....they like them for a few days and then figure it out! but it might be worth getting a few days of meds into him. Does he like cheese? can you squish it in some cheese?
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"UNTIL ONE HAS LOVED AN ANIMAL, PART OF THEIR SOUL REMAINS UNAWAKENED"
He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.
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  #19  
Old October 22nd, 2011, 02:22 PM
asunnyheart asunnyheart is offline
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If he eats normally, it is not difficult to give him med, I can wrap the med in chicken breast and he won't even know it.

The vet was considerate enough to give him injections yesterday because of that.

I am boiling fresh chicken breast to see if he likes it.
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  #20  
Old October 23rd, 2011, 08:07 PM
asunnyheart asunnyheart is offline
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Just want to update you good people with the good news. My dog is no longer having diarrhea. Last night, he slept soundly and peacefully for the whole night and I had to wake him up and remind him to go to bathroom.

The third vet said it would take 3-4 days for Metronidazole at correct dosage to work. He is absolutely right. I am so glad that I have found a competent vet through Vetratingz. If anyone in Metro Toronto Area wishes to know who the good vet is, his name is Henry White at Etobicoke Veterinarian Hospital. I am so grateful to him.

Thanks to everyone who cared.
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Old October 23rd, 2011, 10:05 PM
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Hurray!!!! So glad to hear he's doing better, asunnyheart! Are you still having trouble getting the pills down him or did the chicken work?
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Old October 23rd, 2011, 10:09 PM
asunnyheart asunnyheart is offline
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Hazel, he is begging for food today, so yes, I can hide the broken pieces of the pill in the chicken meat, he eats everything with joy.
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Old October 23rd, 2011, 10:10 PM
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Wonderful!! Glad he's got his appetite back!
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Old October 23rd, 2011, 11:09 PM
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renegaderuby renegaderuby is offline
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SUPER GLAD HE"S FEELING BETTER!
for future reference you could try a small dab of penut butter on pill, and stick pill with penut butter on roof of his mouth next time..usually in our house pill goes bye bye (when a dog is being difficult with medication).
If the penut butter dosent work. A peice of cheese smooshed around it very very tightly...and shoved to the back of the throat (almost gagging point) usually does the trick..because they try to hack it back up...taste the cheese and go..OH..CHEESE..and then swallow.

Not fool proof. But we've got "I DONT WANT THAT YUCKY PILL " dogs ..so. I"ve learned a few tricks.

worked for a kennel a few years back and a vet taught me the shove it in, hold mouth shut, and rub nose with finger trick. (sometimes that works). But more often than not , i've found that just stressed the dog, because they dont like having thier mouth held shut.
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  #25  
Old November 13th, 2011, 11:08 PM
CPenny CPenny is offline
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Bloody diarrhea, Metronidazole Question!

My dog is having the EXACT same problems as ASUNNYHEART's! And I'm also getting no sleep and very anxious to see results. My pup weighs 11lbs, she has been on the Metronidazole for 2.5 days for bloody liquid diarrhea, but I have seen zero improvement. She is mostly uninterested in the boiled chicken and rice. She is drinking lots of water, thankfully. The Dr said I would see improvement in 24-36 hours. It's now been 48 hours, but I see no improvement. Can you tell me your exact regimen?

Thanks!
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Old November 14th, 2011, 10:52 AM
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CPenny, your best bet would be to touch bases with your vet again. He may need to run more tests to see if he can further pinpoint what's going on. As you say, it's good that she's drinking lots of water, but she can still dehydrate quickly and the loss of appetite is always troubling.

So please at least touch bases with your vet.

Keep us posted on how she's doing!
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  #27  
Old January 18th, 2012, 07:56 PM
Pinecone Pinecone is offline
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Red face Q

I have a 13yp rescue, Cedar. She has had some on/off bouts w diareha every 3-4 months. Seems usually due to parasites, bunny turds is my guess. Any how now diareha due to some bacterial overgrowth. Started metronidozole 2.5 days ago (3x/day). Seemed a little formed this morning & now a mess again. No blood. I had moved her up to 3/4 food today. Is it normal to take a few days to firm up? Otherwise she acts totally normal. I worry so.....thoughts?
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Old January 18th, 2012, 10:20 PM
MaxaLisa MaxaLisa is offline
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My girl used to love bunny turds. For her, panacur, albon, and sometimes amoxicillin were the right choices for her. Those meds would also help her flairs of pancreatitis.

If there isn't distinct improvement by tomorrow, or certainly by Friday for sure, I would give the vet a call. If you are seeing some improvement, it just might take some time.
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  #29  
Old January 19th, 2012, 10:32 PM
Pinecone Pinecone is offline
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Check in

So cedar started diareha Monday & metronidozole. Firmed some then a mess we'd night. Today, thurs, no poops. Does that mean she's firming up finally? I m crossing my fingers. 50/50 food, plenty of water & yogurt w lots of trips out...no poops today. Se has a bacterial overgrowth that is the general cause. But beneath that I m sure her aging bod is also a piece of it long term. Thoughts....firming up? Is this normal to take a bit to kick the meds in? Tks.
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Old January 20th, 2012, 03:45 AM
MaxaLisa MaxaLisa is offline
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It sounds like there was no diarrhea, but no too firm? Is she having problems having a bowel movement?

What are you feeding?
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