Metronidizole

[3DogNite]

One of the vets in the office i take my kids too said, "metronidizole is a safe drug,, safe enough to take indefinitely if it helps keep the stools firm"

My old gal can have firm poop one day, and the runny squirts the next. I have tried EVERYTHING to regulate her poop.. acupuncture, slippery elm bark, beet pulp, pumpkin, enzymes, changed her food -- this has been going on for over a year.. good one day,, BAD BAD the next.

She has been tested for all worms and is fecal always negative, she's been on heart worm medicine for years.

 

Have any of you heard this about Metronidizole? this really surprised me as i've heard very different things from other vets,, like only take for 2 weeks at a time etc...... it is the one thing that does make her poop firm, but once off of it, about a week later we are in the cycle again of runny diarrhea.

 

My Darbee-doo is almost 15 (in feb) and if i will gladly give her a "met" pill everyday if it really is the only thing that keeps her regular.

 

thank you,,, and Darbee-doo thanks you too!

 

 

[o_rooly]

I would think that especially for seniors, if it will work on a continuous basis w/o bad side effects, why not?

 

My personal issue with Metronidazole is that it's great at obliterating bad bugs that affect stomach health and... ahem, some girl issues, but it also REALLY wipes out the good bugs, so there's no longer a natural defense against the same problems later. Maybe give pup some probiotics in between doses of Metro (to give the probiotics time to gain a foothold in the digestive tract before the next dose of meds hits)? However, if you're going to give Metro on a continuous basis, maybe it's not as much as an issue..

I also recall Metronidazole making everything taste like metal to me, but maybe that's not something that transfers to canines

 

Also, I wonder what the dosage would be for daily use?

[ElizabethGPAPS]

I've never heard of a Vet prescribing long-term use, but they're certainly liberal with it. Metronidazole (Flagyl) is an antibiotic, antibacterial and parasite killer, and it also works nicely as a gut anti-inflammatory for dogs like my Simon who have frequent bouts of unexplainable big-D.

 

A little time and money-saving tip: It can be purchased without a prescription (as can several other antibiotics) if it's labeled for aquarium usage. I keep 250mg Amoxicillin capsules and 250mg Metronadizole tablets in the house...I bought them on ebay as "Fish-Mox" and "Fish-Zole" for under $20 each for a 100 count.

Edited November 11, 2009 by ElizabethGPAPS

[IndyandHollyluv]

Sorry, don't know that I can offer much (although I was actually on Met years ago), and assuming Giardia has been ruled out -- an enzyme certainly sounds reasonable.

 

Have you tried adding some cooked vegetables to Darbee's diet? I've had good luck with veggies. Helps to bulk and firm stool. I've fed my hounds (now 10-1/2 and almost 12) vegetables with dinner for several years now and I think it has helped in terms of regularity and "firmness," if you will. A variety of cooked frozen green beans, lima beans, spinach, kale, peas, or broccoli, etc., as well as sweet or white potato. I rotate the menu items. Not a lot, maybe 1/8 to 1/4 cup? I would certainly start s-l-o-w.

 

Almost 15! Wow, that's wonderful. Hugs to Darbee-doo!

[Guest SoulsMom]

With all of Soul's GI issues my vet and I have discussed long term use. Thankfully is hasn't come to that yet . . . .

[PrairieProf]

My vet said it was safe for long-term use if needed -- I think he was talking about a couple of months in the context of our discussion, but I bet longer would be OK if it was really the thing that helped. And in a 14-15 year old hound, really what have you got to lose? It's not like you have to worry about her developing liver damage or something years from now . . . having her comfortable in the present seems the most important thing.

[Guest larock]

I would personally use it without hesitation. It's also called Flagyl, there is another product called Tylosin. I've used both on my greys, in one case for over 12 weeks. If your houndie is older I'd be less inclined to worry about the long term affects some of the drugs have. If it makes their life better at this moment - that's what counts.

 

[Batmom]

Metronidazole is commonly prescribed for long-term use (6 months +) because of its neat properties -- antibiotic *and* antiinflammatory. A very few pets don't get along with the drug; that's usually evident quite quickly. I'd use it with no reservations.

[tbhounds]

I've never heard of a Vet prescribing long-term use, but they're certainly liberal with it. Metronidazole (Flagyl) is an antibiotic, antibacterial and parasite killer, and it also works nicely as a gut anti-inflammatory for dogs like my Simon who have frequent bouts of unexplainable big-D.

 

A little time and money-saving tip: It can be purchased without a prescription (as can several other antibiotics) if it's labeled for aquarium usage. I keep 250mg Amoxicillin capsules and 250mg Metronadizole tablets in the house...I bought them on ebay as "Fish-Mox" and "Fish-Zole" for under $20 each for a 100 count.

 

I would be careful giving the "fish" antibotics--those are sold that way because they were expired and no longer ok to use in dogs. Expired tetracycline (sold as fish antibotics) can very harmful to use.

Long-term Flagyl is used all the time in IBD dogs, however, it can be associated with neruo side effects.

[dante2zoe]

I used it for several months on one of my dogs until we found a way to keep to runny poops under control. Another plus is that it is on the 90 day Walmart list, so I could get the script filled for 10.00!

[Burpdog]

Depends on the dose.

 

Have you tried fiber caps (I get them at WalMart). They really work. You have to use them every day.

[rschultz]

We had some of the same issues with lexie. all tests negative. she is on tylan powder long term. (over a year now) It is the only thing that has helped her runny poo. I give 1/2 tsp of the powder mixed with yogurt or applesauce. My vet said it can be used long term. I think lexie was on that metroz for a short time but i found it didn't really help her. gl

[3greys2cats]

Used it for several months on Sara for the big D, she was on several drugs at the time including chemo, it helped firm up the poops and helped me get sleep, no more getting up in the middle of the night and I personally was on it for GI problems last year after a surgery and bad infection, it was one of 3 antibiotics that I was on, so if it helps your older girl, yes I would use it long term if needed.

[ahicks51]

Flagyl tastes the same way a tire fire smells.

 

Out of curiosity, has Barbee-doo been put on a grain-free diet at some point? Have you ever tried feeding raw food? It's possible there's a grain allergy or a lectin thing going on there.

[3DogNite]

Thank you all for your responses! I just called in a re-fill for Darbee-doo .

 

I forgot to add that she also gets Probiotics daily, so when the Met pill kills the all the bugs,, at least the good ones can be replenished (hopefully)

Darbee is also my REALLY picky eater. she will eat anything once then turn her nose at it. I hate to try too many other foods, even RAW diet just because the only food she eats consistently is Iams chicken. My others are on Taste of the Wild fowl.. she will sometimes eat one meal of TOTW. but never 2 meals! at 14 3/4 ~ she knows what she wants! so all supplements must be in pill form. She's a champion pill "popper"

 

ok,, off to find a good deal on Metronidizole! Thanks again for your help!

Lorinda

 

 

 

[Burpdog]

Fiber caps are pill form.

[greyhead]

Spencer has been on 1,000mg/day metronidazole for six months for his IBD and we've seen no ill-effects. We do put each pill into a capsule (size 00) and put that in a meatball so he doesn't have to taste it.

 

This is for his IBD. Previously he took it for SIBO caused by Clostridium perfrigens. That's not something they regularly test for, as most dogs show C. difficile. If you want to rule SIBO in or out, ask for the poop to be tested for bacteria.

[3DogNite]

Fiber caps are pill form.

 

 

Is that the name "Fiber caps" or is there a brand name to look for..

I will definitely try them

[Guest KennelMom]

If you've exhausted other possible solutions and the hound is 15, I'd probably do whatever it took to help her eliminate normally. If this were a 3-4 year old dog looking at a lifetime of metronidizole, it'd probably be a different conversation and thought process.

 

You might want to check and see if it's a $4 drug at Target/Walmart...I think it is, but your vet has to write the RX for a month supply. I will say that it's a drug we always keep on hand.

[Guest Lovemyhound]

Ummm... your pup is almost 15 years old??? WOW I'm just here to say, "CONGRATULATIONS!!!"

[rschultz]

wow 15 years. i must have missed that part... wtg!!!!

[KF_in_Georgia]

My vet has seen some sort of serious problem occur with long-term use of metronidazole in a couple of animals that he's treated. He will no longer prescribe metronidazole for long-term use. Sam was having chronic diarrhea earlier this year, and the vet agreed to a 10-day trial of metronidazole: if it fixed things, fine; otherwise, we'd try tylosin, which does not have the same negative long-term effects. (Sam had had metronidazole in the past, so the vet felt the risk to him was building up.)

 

Sam happily took the metronidazole powder mixed in his food, but it didn't fix his problems. We went to tylosin, which I've heard is so awful tasting that dogs will stop eating even favorite foods if there's a whiff of tylosin in them. I was prepared to start making Sam his own tylosin capsules, but he was willing to gulp down a slice of cheese folded around his tylosin powder. His problems cleared up, so we didn't have to stay on tylosin long-term, but if he has trouble again, I'm sure my vet will want us to use tylosin instead of metronidazole.

 

Look here for info about metronidazole side effects in animals.

[Anne]

At almost 15 (got one of those myself!) I'd give her whatever it takes for good poops. I had a friend whose dog was on flagyl for over a year and it didn't seem to hurt him. Good luck and give that old gal a hug from my old gal!