Cefalexin Reaction?

[Banjoman]

On Thursday i took Chancey to the vet to check out what looked like 5 small pus filled blisters that appeared on her groin area. He prescribed Cefalexin tablets twice daily (starting Thursday evening), under the brand name "Therios" because he thinks it could be a skin infection.

Yesterday evening (Friday) her tummy was gurgling like anything after having supper around 9.00.p.m. as usual. This morning I gave her the tablets in a couple of pieces of tinned tripe to help them down, later she had a treat when I left home to go shopping. I returned home at lunch time but when i started to get the dogs' lunch ready she made no attempt to come out into the kitchen to wait & watch on progress as she usually does & when I put her lunch down (Kibble & added tripe) she didn't really want it. I had to encourage her to eat some & she left about half of it. She's spent most of the afternoon & evening asleep (or dozing) on a settee, although she did get up happily to go for a short walk this evening during which she did a couple of good sized poops.

This evening I gave her a small supper of kibble & cooked packet food, mixing the tablets in with the food but the only way I could get her to eat it was to hand feed her.

When she didn't eat her lunch I began to wonder if the Cefalexin was making her feel queasy as the adverse reactions listed can be vomiting & diarrhoea & I didn't give her much food with her tablets this morning, just a couple of small pieces of meat. This evening she had a gurgly tum again before I offered her supper and she has spent the rest of the evening curled up on a settee again.

 

Has anyone else's greyhound had a similar response to this antibiotic? The spots on her groin appear to have disappeared already but I know you should always complete the course of tablets prescribed but being the weekend the vet who prescribed the tablets is not working so I cannot check with him whether or not to continue with them. It seems a minor thing to refer to an emergency vet - she seems fine apart from dozing and being off her food. I don't think she has wee'd much today though.

 

Suggestions would be appreciated.

 

TIA,

 

Carol.

[Batmom]

Try doing this:

 

1. Give 1 regular-strength Pepcid (generic is 10mg famotidine; it's a mild stomach acid reducer).

2. Wait 30-40 minutes.

3. Give meal or substantial snack (substantial snack = large dog biscuit or two, or a slice of bread, or a hard-boiled egg.....).

4. Give antibiotics.

 

You can do that 2-3 times per day. Usually you don't need to give the Pepcid or equivalent more than twice a day.

ETA: If she gets more than gurgles or continues not wanting to eat much of anything, I'd discontinue and call your vet. He or she might want to prescribe a different antibiotic. A lot of antibiotics can cause mild tummy upset, but more than mild is a good reason to change meds.

[Banjoman]

Hi Batmom, thank you for your rapid reply! I live in UK and apparently Pepcid is not available over here (just looked on-line for info on it). As it is now 1.30. Sunday morning here & she is due her next dose at 9.00.a.m.when the shops are still closed. i might phone the e-vet before i give them to her to see what they suggest. So much more is only available on prescription over here that you in the States can just go & buy in the shops. I daren't mention buying a human medication for an animal as they refuse to sell it to you at the chemist, even the simplest of things like Cod Liver Oil!

 

At least I know she has done a wee 'cos i took her out into the garden on a lead so i could be sure that she did something. She tried to turn around & go straight back indoors, swearing that she didn't need a wee but I made sure she sniffed where Banjo had recently been & that stiulated her to go!

 

Thanks again,

 

Carol.

[queenwinniesmom]

Polly reacts to cefalexin too. It makes her stop eating and gives her a loose stool. Even with the Pepcid and a meal, it still disagrees with her. A lot of antibiotics do. She needs them for her mouth, which is bad, and also for chronic infections in one paw pad, but a dental is not an option, given lots of other things going on with her. So we decided to do the Convenia injection. I know some people have had bad experiences with Convenia, but it is the only thing that works for her, and makes her feel better. It's VERY expensive, but I think it's the best thing for skin issues, and other infections. Our cat Lily has had it too. It worked well for her, and she has never had a reaction.

 

I almost hate to recommend it because of negative reactions, but for a dog who can't take almost every oral antibiotic, it has sure worked.

Edited August 17, 2014 by queenwinniesmom

[Batmom]

 

Many over-the-counter medications that a person would take for a mild upset stomach are safe for dogs and don't react with most antibiotics, but always best to check with a vet.

[greysmom]

You can use any generic acid reducer - omeprazole, famotidine, ranitadine - if you can get it OTC there - 10 mg or 20 mg will be fine for a dog Chancey's size. Make sure there's no fake sugar mixed in. Other suggestions include peptobismal (the regular liquid formula). Make sure she eats before you give the meds - use the order Batmom suggested above.

 

Call the vet to check about giving the rest of the pills. I haven't heard of any problems with Covenia, though I don't know if you can get it in the UK. It might be an option if the staff infection comes back.

[scullysmum]

You should be able to get the generic Famotidine at a chemist, I'm pretty sure it's not prescription only. I get very bad acid reflux and have taken it in the past, I seem to remember it was a prescription but that may have been because it was a higher dosage, same thing usually applies with Ranitidine aka Gaviscon.

 

As Batmon said if it's only a mild upset then it's probably better to continue to finish the course. I personally have a terrible reaction to it.

[silverfish]

 

Many over-the-counter medications that a person would take for a mild upset stomach are safe for dogs and don't react with most antibiotics, but always best to check with a vet.

But yes, best to check, because some do, and calcium interferes with the absorption of a number of them including some that I take. I have to be careful not to take antacids within an hour or so of taking my little arsenal of medications. Also, many vets over here would be pretty annoyed if we started giving over the counter meds to our dogs while they were on something they'd prescribed, unfortunately. I think our laws are different on this one.

 

But back to the original question: Sid has had a similar reaction to Cephalexin. It wasn't an acid problem, but more that it completely wiped out his gut flora. He had colitis within a few days which resulted in much screaming as he tried to produce goopey, liquid, bloody diarrhoea. Now, we always ask for some Protexin Pro-Fibre pellets to give alongside any strong antibiotics and that does the trick. If Chancey isn't eating at all at the moment, the vet should have it (or something similar) in paste form in a syringe that you can squirt in the mouth.

[Banjoman]

Just phoned the e-vet to ask whether or not to give her this morning's antibiotic dose. They say to continue with the antibiotic as hers is not a normal reaction to it, normally it is v & d. I asked if there was anything I could give her to settle her stomach but they said there is a bug going round which the antibiotic may be keeping under control! Until they knew exactly what they were dealing with they wouldn't do anything else. If she does get v & d then I'm to take her in - just what I am trying to avoid!

 

I asked what to give the tablets in, to help her stomach if they were affecting her & they suggested just her fish & brown rice kibble or just plain fish. Luckily I keep a packet of fish in the freezer to feed after tummy troubles so that has been cooked & is just cooling down now. I'll give her a small meal & hope to hide the tablets in there!

 

"If Chancey isn't eating at all at the moment, the vet should have it (or something similar) in paste form in a syringe that you can squirt in the mouth."

I fed her a smallish meal last night & she seemed to gradually show more interest while I was hand feeding her, so she is eating about half her normal meals & has pooped out in the garden this morning. I'll see how we get on now the fish has cooled down.

 

Thanks all of you for your replies, it is always consoling to know that others have the same or similar problems!

[JohnF]

Human Zantac 75 is the acid inhibitor to give in the UK if you don't have vet meds which will be the same. A Greyhound size dog would need that twice a day and half an hour before a meal. You could also give 1 and a half human Buscopan tablets to help control IBS style spasms. You could also get a probiotic with kaolin from the vet - it comes in a big syringe.

 

My Peggy had a similar problem early July with the loud gurgles and one bad episode of bloody diarrhea and one vomiting session with some blood in it. The vet gave 4 different injections, told me to give Zantac and Buscopan, and changed the food for a couple of weeks to their vet recipe Royal Canine gastro diet cans. 3 a day... expensive. She is now successfully transitioned onto Burns Duck and Brown Rice sensitive and the Zantac has been cut back; hopefully she won't need it at all soon.

 

Be mindful of outside water that might have Giardia from bird mess in it.

 

NB: I tried Arden Grange Fish Sensitive when Peggy was starting to get ill and it made her even worse... the protien was way too high. The Burns Duck and Brown Rice kibble is a more tolerable 18.5% protien.

Edited August 17, 2014 by JohnF

[scullysmum]

Zantac (ranitidine) and Pepcid (Famotidine) work in the same way, they reduce the production of stomach acid, rather than neutralising it like other meds.

[tbhounds]

Personally, I would stop the antibiotic and treat topically with a medicated shampoo. The original symptoms seemed rather mild. A shampoo with chlorhexadine could be used every 3 days until lesions have been resolved. It's not worth tearing your hounds gut apart for a few pustules. If you continue with the antibiotic treatment might be wise to start a probiotic---just make sure it's given separately from the antibiotics.

[Banjoman]

After refusing any lunch & spending most of the day curled up on the settee looking subdued, at the end of the afternoon Chancey came out into the garden where i was working and spent most of her time trying to catch the field mouse that lives in the plants around the pond. I took the dogs out for a walk but she didn't do a wee and seemed to have wanted nothing to eat or drink all day.

This evening she took no interest whiie i was getting their supper ready until I put Banjo's dish down & then she came trotting out to the kitchen. I put down half the amount of kibble i usually give her & that was eaten pretty rapidly so i put some fish in her bowl, that disappeared so she got some more which also disappeared. Then she went out into the garden wit h Banjo & did a wee , came back indoors and polished off some more soaked kibble. It seems her appetite might be returning, I'll see what she is like in the morning.

I tried to hide this evening's tablets in some apple but she was having none of that so i had to stuff them down her throat so she is not too pleased with me, although I gave her a quarter of an apple afterwards.

 

At least she is pooping & weeing now, which was worrying me a little, I didn't want her to get dehydrated or have the worry that her kidneys might not be working properly. Thankfully no d & v yet.

[greysmom]

[silverfish]

Great update! So glad she's improving!

 

Try hiding the antibiotics in something strong-tasting like Milano salami - this is one of the less spicy ones (we get it from Sainsbury's) and it's sticky so it doesn't fall off the pills if you fold it over & squeeze it round them. Not the healthiest treat perhaps, but it works for us.

[Banjoman]

She snaffled up kibble & fish this morning so that she had something in her tum before I gave her the tablets (they smell disgusting, even I can smell them!), which got stuffed down her throat with a handful of fish after each piece. I don't think I need to contact my vet at the moment but I'll see what she is like at lunch time.

 

Now I need to go shopping for another packet of frozen fish, I like to keep one in stock!