My dog's diarrhea worsened on metronidazole. What should I do now?

Question

Hi! Beau's been having loose stool for 3 weeks and is on metronidazole for a week already but diarrhea's worsen. Could that be the side effect of the med-- how would I know if the med is working? He's also on 2.5mg of prednisolone every other day for bronchitis but my vet wants to up his dosage to 5mg daily for a few days. Is that advisable? If both the preds and metronidazole don't work, what's next? He's eating well, hydrated, and acts normal. I also give him probiotics. Thank you! Pet's info: Cat | Korat | Male | neutered | 13 years and 5 months old | 9.6 lbs

Stacey Anstaett, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello! I would follow your veterinarian’s recommendation for medications at this time but if the diarrhea is not improving, some diagnostic tests will need to be performed to help guide treatment. Talk to your vet about blood work and an abdominal ultrasound (a sonogram of the belly). Diarrhea that becomes chronic (ongoing for weeks) can be due to inflammatory bowel disease, cancer in the GI tract, or even inflammation in the pancreas or liver. I am so glad to hear he is eating and acting normally... it is not an emergency to have further testing done but if it is not resolving, seek additional tests. Ultimately this may even include obtaining biopsies of the intestine via endocscopy or surgery— however blood work and an ultrasound will give some insight as to the best options moving forward. Best of luck with him, I hope he improves!

My dog's diarrhea worsened on metronidazole. What should I do now?

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