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Metronizadole Longterm For Ibd?


Guest mysymba

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Guest mysymba

Hi all,

 

Does anyone here have their greyhound on a long term dosage of Metronizadole for their IBD? Symba is doing very well on this medication and the vet says he may have to be on it long term for his IBD....just wondering how your dog is doing on it long term? Thank you so much!

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Sam is on it. He hasn't been diagnosed with IBD, but every time we tried taking him off the metronidazole, the diarrhea was back within three or four days.

 

Be advised that there is a risk of neurological complications from long-term heavy use of metronidazole. Google "metronidazole toxicity dogs". It's my understanding that the symptoms can be reversed if the drug is stopped, but you want to talk to your vet about this, and you need to know to watch for symptoms.

 

We started Sam on 500mg tablets twice daily; he was in the midst of another diarrhea disaster when we started. After six days, we went to one pill a day; after six more days, we went to half a pill a day. After six more days, we went to half a pill every other day (he gets them on odd-numbered dates)...and crossed our fingers. We've been doing it this way for a couple of months now, and he's been doing well. (Sam's 12 years old and weighs 65 pounds.)

 

ETA: We tried Tylan (tylosine), which is safer for long-term use, but it didn't work on Sam.

Edited by KF_in_Georgia

15060353021_97558ce7da.jpg
Kathy and Q (CRT Qadeer from Fuzzy's Cannon and CRT Bonnie) and
Jane (WW's Aunt Jane from Trent Lee and Aunt M); photos to come.

Missing Silver (5.19.2005-10.27.2016), Tigger (4.5.2007-3.18.2016),
darling Sam (5.10.2000-8.8.2013), Jacey-Kasey (5.19.2003-8.22.2011), and Oreo (1997-3.30.2006)

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Guest mysymba

Sam is on it. He hasn't been diagnosed with IBD, but every time we tried taking him off the metronidazole, the diarrhea was back within three or four days.

 

Be advised that there is a risk of neurological complications from long-term heavy use of metronidazole. Google "metronidazole toxicity dogs". It's my understanding that the symptoms can be reversed if the drug is stopped, but you want to talk to your vet about this, and you need to know to watch for symptoms.

 

We started Sam on 500mg tablets twice daily; he was in the midst of another diarrhea disaster when we started. After six days, we went to one pill a day; after six more days, we went to half a pill a day. After six more days, we went to half a pill every other day (he gets them on odd-numbered dates)...and crossed our fingers. We've been doing it this way for a couple of months now, and he's been doing well. (Sam's 12 years old and weighs 65 pounds.)

 

ETA: We tried Tylan (tylosine), which is safer for long-term use, but it didn't work on Sam.

 

Thank you....did your vet give you that pill schedule or did you just feel it best to wean him to a lower dose from your research? I will be calling our vet...she was telling me about a long term dose of I believe one every other day....does that sound okay?

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The vet worked out that schedule, and it's actually written on the bottle as follows:

 

Give "Sam 'Dog'" 1 tablet by mouth twice daily for 6 days, then 1 tablet daily for 6 days, then 1/2 tablet by mouth daily to every other day.

 

 

The vet would have been okay if it was half a tablet every day, but the half-tablet every other day would be safer and he hoped we'd be able to manage that. The six-day timing gave us a chance to discover whether we were dropping to a dose that was too low, since Sam's diarrhea usually returned in three to four days when we stopped the meds. The vet's impressed that we got down to the half-tablet. There's still an occasional day of soft poop, but since it's usually on the same day that the girl has soft poop, that's more an indication that I let the dogs snack on something they shouldn't have. Sam's been on this particular schedule of metronidazole since May.

 

Sam's diet is not restricted by anything more than common sense. He's on a regular kibble, 4-cups a day to keep his weight up.

 

One pill every other day sounds good, especially if it's not a very high dose. And Symba might be able to start on that schedule right away if his stomach isn't being a big problem right now. We just needed to step Sam down gradually because he'd been having diarrhea for six weeks. We'd do six days on, then he'd fall apart by the 3rd or 4th day after we finished the six days. I'd get another prescription, and we'd try again for longer this time, and the diarrhea came back. So the six-day schedule gave us time to see if Sam was stable before we dropped the dosage again.

15060353021_97558ce7da.jpg
Kathy and Q (CRT Qadeer from Fuzzy's Cannon and CRT Bonnie) and
Jane (WW's Aunt Jane from Trent Lee and Aunt M); photos to come.

Missing Silver (5.19.2005-10.27.2016), Tigger (4.5.2007-3.18.2016),
darling Sam (5.10.2000-8.8.2013), Jacey-Kasey (5.19.2003-8.22.2011), and Oreo (1997-3.30.2006)

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Spencer has had IBD for almost 4 years now, though he wasn't diagnosed right away. He was on metronidazole of varying dosages for most of that time. Over the past year we have been able to mostly discontinue it, only going back to it when he has a flare. For him, tylosin was also necessary, and he has stayed on that the whole time. It has been mostly fine, but the neurological effects do add up over time, especially when combined with those from the other main med he was taking, budesonide. He does show cognitive improvement whenever those meds are discontinued.

Edited by greyhead
Mary with Jumper Jack (2/17/11) and angels Shane (PA's Busta Rime, 12/10/02 - 10/14/16) and Spencer (Dutch Laser, 11/25/00 - 3/29/13).

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My boy Star has colitis and is on metronidizol long term. He was on 1 & 1/2 pills (250 mg) twice a day. We were then able to wean him back to 1 &1/2 once a day. He's been on that dosage for almost year. Each time we tried to cut back to every other day, he'd have a flare up of bloody diarrhea. Just last week we began trying every other day again. So far it's working!

 

Star will most likely be on some dosage of it for life. He is also on prescription food. He's only 3 1/2. He's doing well on this regimen. I love my internal medicine specialist!

 

Pat

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We had an English Setter who took Flagyl daily for his IBD. It worked wonders for him. He's gone now, but it was something else (massive growth in his chest) that took him.


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Susan,  Hamish,  Mister Bigglesworth and Nikita Stanislav. Missing Ming, George, and Buck

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My Merlin has IBD and he has been taking Metronidazole since March of last year - so well over a year now. He's on 500mg TWICE a day. It took us a while to figure out that his flare-ups could only be kept under control on that dosage. Anything less didn't work so well. He still had flare-ups every so often - but that's to be expected. IBD sucks :(

 

He will likely be on it for the rest of his life. We have worried (and still do) about toxicity (esp. in the shape of neurological problems) stemming from long-term use of Metro, but with the exception of one incident (which wasn't clearly identified by the vet as a side-effect), he has been fine. With Merlin, we have no choice but to take the risk because alternative medications used to keep IBD in check (such as Tylan powder/Tylosan) don't work for him.

Edited by MerlinsMum

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Kerry with Lupin in beautiful coastal Maine. Missing Pippin, my best friend and sweet little heart-healer :brokenheart 2013-2023 :brokenheart 
Also missing the best wizard in the world, Merlin, and my sweet 80lb limpet, Sagan, every single day. 

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Guest mysymba

Oh girls...thank you thank you so much for all your wonderful input on diet changes and Metro info... :chow

 

I am afraid Symba is going to be just like dear Merlin and we will not be able to be without Metro....we tried ourselves to just give him one pill the other day and whamo...well you know the bloody "d" began again...these poor guys.....I will always be worried about the toxicity as well.....but so far my 10 year old handsome man is doing really well....crossing paws.... :beatheart

 

My Merlin has IBD and he has been taking Metronidazole since March of last year - so well over a year now. He's on 500mg TWICE a day. It took us a while to figure out that his flare-ups could only be kept under control on that dosage. Anything less didn't work so well. He still had flare-ups every so often - but that's to be expected. IBD sucks :(

 

He will likely be on it for the rest of his life. We have worried (and still do) about toxicity (esp. in the shape of neurological problems) stemming from long-term use of Metro, but with the exception of one incident (which wasn't clearly identified by the vet as a side-effect), he has been fine. With Merlin, we have no choice but to take the risk because alternative medications used to keep IBD in check (such as Tylan powder/Tylosan) don't work for him.

 

Ah gosh....poor Merlin...if I may ask...what was the incident with Merlin? I see Symba sometimes walking like a little drunk sailor but other than that he is pretty good! Thank you!

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