Tylan Powder Side Effects?

[claudiav]

Sarge, my new senior, had diarrhea for 6 weeks when we found the culprit: an infection in the intestinal tract. The bacteria is resistant to a lot of antibiotics, but not Tylan powder. I have been giving him Tylan powder in capsules for two weeks now. He used to be my chow hound. Ever since he started the Tylan powder, he has turned up his nose at every food I have given him. He will try something new once, reluctantly, but will not eat it a second time. We went thru TOTW salmon kibble and canned food, V-Dog kibble, Royal Canine venison & potato prescription kibble and canned food. Earlier this week he just stopped eating dog food of any kind. So I started with chicken and rice. He ate some of the rice, but mostly picked out the chicken. Next meal, he reluctantly ate some chicken. Now he won't even touch it. He loved his peanut butter cookies, and pumpkin cookies, but he won't touch them now. he wouldn't eat anything this morning. He is severely underweight and need to gain, but we also need to finish the Tylan powder as this infection has been going on for a long time, and we need to get rid of it. I don't know what to feed him anymore. I won't try anymore dog food.

 

Has anyone else had this experience with Tylan powder? Does it upset their tummy, or take away their appetite? What do you do about it? he has two more weeks on it....

 

I haven't properly introduced him to GT yet. I was waiting until he felt better, put on some weight, to take some good pics.... he is VERY tall and gangly.... no muscle tone whatsoever...

 

His 11th birthday was Wednesday (9/11). I this boy!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 13, 2013 by claudiav

[Guest RMarie]

Oh my goodness, what a cutiepie! But wow is he skinny. I had no advice as my boy's never been on Tylan powder. I just hope he starts feeling better soon!

[FiveRoooooers]

How are you dispensing the Tylan? It is Very Bitter, which may be why Sarge is refusing his meals. I put it in plain capsules and dispense with the vehicle of the day: peanut butter, liverwurst, cheese ... stuff like that.

 

Sarge

 

eta: Sorry, went back to see that you are using capsules. Please be very sure that there is no powder residue on them, b/c even a little bit will be nasty.

Edited September 13, 2013 by FiveRoooooers

[claudiav]

How are you dispensing the Tylan? It is Very Bitter, which may be why Sarge is refusing his meals. I put it in plain capsules and dispense with the vehicle of the day: peanut butter, liverwurst, cheese ... stuff like that.

 

Sarge

 

eta: Sorry, went back to see that you are using capsules. Please be very sure that there is no powder residue on them, b/c even a little bit will be nasty.

 

three medium capsules, twice a day... I pill him... put them all the way down his throat and shut his muzzle till he swallows... he just doesn't seem to want to eat, or do anything... he seems off... even though I've only had him for 8 weeks...

[Batmom]

Is he getting anything like Pepcid to help his tummy feel a little better? Has he had an abdominal x-ray/ultrasound? (Those are kinda sorta rhetorical questions, to talk over with your vet if you think appropriate. I don't need the answer myself.)

 

Tylan hasn't caused inappetence here.

 

I hope you can get to the bottom of this for your sweet, handsome fellow .

[dante2zoe]

I am so sorry he isn't doing well. Brady just started tylosin this week. He acts like he is starving! Very uncharacteristic. Are you giving them to him before or after meals? Maybe they upset his stomach? Grasping at straws. Brady gets 1/8 tsp in a capsule that I make myself wrapped in a meatball about an hour before meals. He just swallows the meatball without chewing. That's easy to do anyway - he only has a couple teeth!

 

Please keep us posted. I have a soft spot for the seniors - especially one you get so late in life. (Brady was 11 when I got him, too. So sweet and thankful.)

 

Cindy

[rschultz]

Hi and welcome. Lexie was on tylan powder for 4 years but I didn't do the capsules. The vet told me to do a mixture with cornstarch. I can tell you it if you want the mixture/ Anyway, the powder never affected Lexie's appetite. Maybe it has nothing to do with the powder?

[Batmom]

ETA: Have your vet check his teeth/mouth as well to make sure nothing is going on there .......

 

 

 

 

Some things we have used with picky eaters here include scrambled eggs, Tripett (or Solid Gold Green Cow Tripe), spaghettios (straight out of the can), vanilla ice cream, a drizzle of honey or molasses on top of other things ...... There are also high calorie supplements you can get that might help him in the short term; one is called Dyne, another is Nutrical? or something like that; both kinda pasty/liquidy so you can squirt in their mouth and they usually swallow.

[Houndtime]

Fuzzy has been sick as well. He lost 10 lbs. The one thing is, he never lost his appetite. He has been on lots of meds and I think it was making his intestinal track even more stressed. I make a mix of Slippery Elm Bark and honey. It coats the digestive track. He may be feeling upset by the meds. If you want more info, just email me.

[FiveRoooooers]

As mentioned above, Sarge's inappetance may not be due to the Tylan. Had he been eating (anything?) prior to starting Tylan? I see that he was. Is there some food that he does enjoy that you could wrap the capsules in? Three capsules sounds like a lot - how much are you putting in each? If you are feeding straight Tylan (w/o filler), the dose is only something like 1/8-1/4 tsp BID.

 

Lots of good suggestions above to help your senior. And thank you for bringing him home.

 

eta, claudia have you tried going back to some of the foods he previously refused to see if he might try them?

Edited September 13, 2013 by FiveRoooooers

[Guest FawnFan]

No experience with Tylan powder even though I do have it in my medicine chest. This question isn't meant to be mean, have you discussed this all with your Vet? They do have an appetite stimulant drug you can use (don't remember the name; gave it to my osteo pup earlier this year when he wouldn't eat for me because of all of the stinkin' meds he was getting - it worked). Yet that doesn't really solve the problem of why he's not eating.

 

Hoping you find an answer soon. Keep at it - you'll figure it out. Good luck with him and as someone else said above, thank you for bringing him home. I have an 11 yo and I can't imagine him in a kennel or up for adoption. Thank you again!

[claudiav]

No experience with Tylan powder even though I do have it in my medicine chest. This question isn't meant to be mean, have you discussed this all with your Vet? They do have an appetite stimulant drug you can use

 

I posted this while waiting for vet to call me. She left appetite suppressant and anti nausea pills for me, which I'm picking up in an hour. I hope they help, I am so worried about him.... he can't afford to go on a hunger strike

 

She also recommended steaming beef/turkey and potatoes for him, not giving him rotisserie chicken anymore.... didn't know how fat rotisserie chicken is.... and he my be allergic to it as the runs have returned.... oy!!!

[Houndtime]

I stopped the diarrhea with this diet. Within 12 hours Fuzzy had solid poop. You can only do it for 4 days. I have started him on a limited ingredient diet and add a half white potato to the mix.

 

http://www.crvetcenter.com/recipe_potatodiet.php

[Newgreymom]

I posted this while waiting for vet to call me. She left appetite suppressant and anti nausea pills for me, which I'm picking up in an hour. I hope they help, I am so worried about him.... he can't afford to go on a hunger strike

 

She also recommended steaming beef/turkey and potatoes for him, not giving him rotisserie chicken anymore.... didn't know how fat rotisserie chicken is.... and he my be allergic to it as the runs have returned.... oy!!!

I hope it's an appetite stimulant and not a suppressant as stated above. I know people here have given Ensure while they are off their food. I'm hoping someone chimes in that has used it. Poor baby looks so skinny. Hope he feels better soon.

[KF_in_Georgia]

I used Ensure for Sam. He liked the vanilla flavor. Actually, I fed some to both dogs--just poured it on their kibble and they ate it all.

 

And when Sam was refusing to eat his kibble--but blissfully licking all the Ensure out of the bowl--I started sending his kibble through the food processor. I'd grind up 3 cups a day, then mix 3/4 cup kibble with Ensure or yogurt or some other treat (oatmeal was popular, also ground chicken or tuna) to make something about the consistency of pudding. He was being fed 4 times a day. (And you might want to try Sarge on smaller meals more often, to see if that helps.) As long as Sam was eatting most of the kibble, I had fewer worries about whether he was getting enough nutrition. (Sam was 13 and recovering from an ulcer; with the ground kibble, I managed to keep him from losing any weight.)

[greysmom]

I use a 1/4 teaspoon of Tylan powder on Hopper's food twice a day. He is a chow hound with no loss of appetite. I even put his seizure meds on his food and he just gobbles them rite up.

 

I also give him a probiotic powder (another 1/4 teaspoon powder) with both meals. You might see if he will eat yogurt with live cultures, or ask you vet for some Forti Flora which will help repopulate those good gut bacteria.

 

At this point, you probably want to feed him whatever he will eat, including some stuff you probably wouldn't want him to have on an ongoing basis - McDonald's cheeseburgers are the gold food for picky eaters here. Store-made rotisserie chicken is high in fat and sodium as they usually plump up the chickens with it, though if he's allergic you don't want to feed it anyway. If you use rice, make sure it is very overcooked, otherwise it has a tougher time being digested. I usually use potatoes or sweet potatoes and mash them with broth.

 

You might also talk with your vet about having an ultra sound to see if there's another reason for his inappetence.

[galgrey]

No advice re: Tylan, but sending lots of good thoughts that he recovers his appetite and gains so weight. Thank you for bringing this sweet boy home.

[Guest OPointyDog]

Mika has been on Tylan powder for about 4 months - we're just now trying to taper it down to see how he does without it. No problems with his appetite, as he will eat ANYTHING. We don't even have to disguise it - I just dump it on his food and he gobbles it up. Haven't seen any side-effects.

 

Hopefully you're getting an appetite stimulant rather than suppressant. When our previous dog (grey x GSD) had cancer, we tried Mirtazapine, which was an absolute life saver. Turned her right around - hopefully you will have similar luck!!

[GreyPoopon]

I've had just about every dog in the house on Tylan at one time or another, and all are on it at the moment (long story). It doesn't seem to suppress appetite. Most won't eat as a powder on their food, so I use capsules or tablets as available.

 

I'd suspect some other issue--perhaps the underlying infection, or as FiveRoooooers said, a bit of residue on the capsules, or a food problem. I hope the new meds the vet prescribed, or some of the suggestions others have posted, help.

 

Congratulations on your new boy. He's very handsome. I hope we'll soon see pics of him all better.

[claudiav]

Vet gave us appetite stimulant, not suppressant. my mistake.

 

Anyway, we had a tough weekend. Sarge was on a hunger strike while he was dealing with the nasty, brown water, explosive diarrhea. It just kept pouring out of him, even 4 days after the last meal he had, the chicken rotisserie, which caused the whole thing. Thank goodness I spoke with my vet Saturday morning and she advised against Dyan and Ensure. She said with his inflamed intestines, those would have exacerbated the problem. She suggested Natural Balance venison & sweet potato canned food pureed with vegetable broth, and I syringe-fed him that Saturday nite and Sunday afternoon. Luckily, by Sunday nite, he was feeling better and was hungry for some real food. Gave him a can of TOTW Salmon and he inhaled it. He wanted more food, so I gave him boiled pasta and beef. He loved it! YAY!!! I was literally dancing on the ceiling. This morning, he ate some more boiled pasta and beef. WOOHOO!!! I went out to the dog run and found his most recent poops have slightly improved, to pudding like consistency. I'll be most interested to see how it looks tonite, 24 hrs after the boiled pasta and beef were introduced, just to make sure he isn't allergic to beef, as I found out the hard way he is allergic to chicken. Vet loved this morning's report, and said to continue the pasta & beef diet if he likes it, as long as it's good to his tummy. He's still getting 1/4 teaspoon of Tylan powder twice a day, in capsules, and we're going to recheck the stool for the campylobacter infection. He has two more weeks on Tylan, and I've learned how to give him B-12 shots, so I hope he's on the mend. He even ate 3 peanut butter biscuits this morning.

 

Love my Sarge. He also had a fun filled weekend! He went to CT for the picnic and puppy farm, and we took the ferry back to Long Island. He loved smelling the salt water and standing in the sun while there was a crisp breeze blowing. Sunday we went to a family festival and pet expo @ Tanner Park in Long Island, and he got to meet so many people and all breeds and sizes doggies. he really is a joy to walk, he LOVES everyone, and wants to stop and sniff every dog, but while waking with Leyla, it's not possible to let him enjoy other dogs, cuase she's very anti social, she hates puppy energy, and most dogs have that hyperactive tendency and she growls and tries to take a bite out of them. but a friend of mine was walking her wile I was walking Sarge, and we were able to stop and say hi to everyone and I swear, I've never seen him happier! So glad he got to experience that! Everyone loved him too..... but of course!!! Who wouldn't love a tall, gangly, well behaved, social boy like him?

http://s1155.photobucket.com/user/shakasmom/media/Sargelaughing_zpsf589d5d9.jpg.html'>

 

This is Sarge and his anti social sissy

Edited September 16, 2013 by claudiav

[Guest LunaTheGreyt]

Tylan is very foul-tasting, so many dogs will refuse to eat anything it touches. Are you putting the capsules in his dish, or feeding separately? If you aren't already, perhaps try putting the capsules in soft cheese, liverwurst, peanut butter, pill-pockets, or stuffing them down his throat (last resort, of course). If you are already doing that, then I have no advice - just hope you're able to get the sweet old guy to eat!

[Houndtime]

I don't like to sound like a know-it-all, but just having gone through this diarrhea for a month with our Fuzzy, you should find one food that works and stick to it. You are changing his diet too much. It might be ok for a dog who is well, but not one going through digestive issues right now. Probably the venison and potato was a good choice.

[greyhead]

After our Spencer had a Clostridium perfringens infection for months, he was left with moderate-to-severe IBD, seen on ultrasound. (He'd lost 20 lbs and was very ill, so I refused a surgical biopsy.) He was only Tylan for the next four years, among other things. No inappetance due to Tylan. But before we found and treated the IBD, he did the same thing you're describing with the food, doing well on each new thing for a day or two and then refusing it. If it is IBD, that reaction is due to an inflammatory response in the GI tract, and it will continue until he's treated for it. The bacterial infection must be knocked out first. After that, please treat with budesonide instead of prednisone. I'll be happy to explain that, when and if you wish.

 

By the way, you might test for Intestinal Malabsorption. It may be that his ability to process B12 has been impaired. If so, sub-q administration of B12 (must be shot, not oral) will rectify a lot of problems, including appetite.

 

ETA: Tylan is a very mild antibiotic. I can't imagine it able to handle Campy by itself. Campy creates colonies that produce toxins when the colony reaches a certain critical threshold, and those toxins can kill intestinal tissue. So at the risk of exposing my own PTSD around this issue, I looked around and copied this info on treatment:

Clindamycin, gentamicin, tetracyclines, erythromycin, and fluoroquinolones are effective against Campylobacter spp. Penicillins, cephalosporins, and trimethoprim are generally ineffective. Resistance to the fluoroquinolones, tetracycline, kanamycin, and some other antibiotics has been documented among the Campylobacter spp, mediated by both chromosomal and plasmid mechanisms. Culture-dependent diagnosis can provide isolates for antibiotic sensitivity testing.

It came from this site: http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/digestive_system/enteric_campylobacteriosis/overview_of_enteric_campylobacteriosis.html

 

It took three antibiotics, given serially, to knock out Spencer's Clostridium! Perhaps you should request another culture & sensitivity (they did do a sensitivity, didn't they?) to see what else might actually work. Although the fluoroquinolones apparently may or may not work, there are four other things listed that could. This article was from spring of 2012, btw.

 

Oh, and I agree totally with Houndtime above about the food changes.

Edited September 17, 2013 by greyhead