They may be used alone in animals suspected to have antibiotic-responsive diarrhea. Its use in dogs, rabbits, rodents, and small mammals to treat signs of diarrhea is ‘off label’ or ‘extra label’. Many drugs are prescribed for off-label use in veterinary medicine. In these instances, follow your veterinarian’s directions and cautions very carefully as their directions may be significantly different from those on the label. In many cases of diarrhea, your dog may not need an antibiotic. But if they do, metronidazole might be what your vet prescribes.
Chronic diarrhea is a common complaint, and the potential etiologies are extensive. Parasites, dietary intolerances, metabolic disease, pancreatic disease, bacterial causes, and inflammatory bowel disease are but a few etiologies of chronic diarrhea. However, IBD does not describe the etiology nor does the severity of clinical signs correspond to the extent of inflammatory cell. Before beginning extensive diagnostic tests or obtaining an intestinal biopsy specimen from a patient with chronic diarrhea, there are a few diagnostic tests or trial therapies to consider .
For example, both probiotics and fecal microbiota transplantation have been investigated as alternative approaches to IBD and other causes of diarrhea in dogs. Testing your dog’s gut health will give you valuable information about which bacteria populations are present, which beneficial strains might be missing, and what specific steps you can take to support your dog’s health. Our Gut Health Tests include a detailed report on all the bacteria that make up your dog’s gut microbiome, as well as personalized diet, lifestyle, and supplement recommendations. Side effects can occur with most medications. Ask your veterinarian about what to look out for. Metronidazole is a bitter-tasting medication that can cause excessive salivation, drooling and gagging in cats.
Take note of any unusual behavior or symptoms that your pet exhibits when he or she has diarrhea. You can bring this information to the veterinarian’s office. Your vet will work to diagnose your pet’s condition and determine the cause of his diarrhea, and https://wewriteaboutdogs.com/what-you-should-know-about-endosorb-to-dogs/ having a log of your pet’s symptoms and their progression will be helpful in his analysis. Endosorb may be an option if your veterinarian suspects that your pet’s diarrhea is due to a toxin in their system.
- Before beginning extensive diagnostic tests or obtaining an intestinal biopsy specimen from a patient with chronic diarrhea, there are a few diagnostic tests or trial therapies to consider .
- Testing your dog’s gut health will give you valuable information about which bacteria populations are present, which beneficial strains might be missing, and what specific steps you can take to support your dog’s health.
- Veterinarians use metronidazole as an off-label medication since it is not FDA-approved for dogs.
Alternative treatments are available depending on what’s causing your dog’s diarrhea. Other than diarrhea due to infection, other causes include tumors, inflammatory bowel disease, and pancreas issues. Diarrhea can sometimes also be a lingering side effect caused by other antibiotics. But this isn’t always possible, as some infections and conditions require these types of medications in order to be properly treated.
For the animal with relatively mild diarrhea without weight loss or debilitation, I prefer to use trial therapy as part of the clinical evaluation. Trial therapy involves antiparasitic therapy, dietary food trials, and antibiotic therapy. If these trial therapies fail to resolve the diarrhea, further GI evaluation is indicated. Imaging studies, serology (trypsinlike immunoreactivity folate, cobalamin), endoscopy, or surgery for intestinal biopsies may be additional diagnostic tests.
- There are many options depending on the cause of your dog’s diarrhea.
- If things don’t go as planned, be sure to contact them.
- IBD is usually classified based on the affected region of the GI tract and the predominant cell type within the inflammatory infiltrate.
- Despite not having strong scientific evidence, metronidazole is still the most prescribed antimicrobial agent for acute diarrhea.
- If these treatments fail to cure the diarrhea, a second GI evaluation may be necessary.