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Can metronidazole cause my dog's diarrhea to get worse?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Male | neutered | 5 years and 5 months old | 12 lbs

Can metronidazole cause diarrhea in dogs ? He is being treated for diarrhea with this and a diarrhea medicine. He started having diarrhea again. He tested negative for a parasite and no pain. He is very playful too. Thanks

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Maria DVM

Veterinarian

Published on July 9th, 2018

Metronidazole doesn't typically cause diarrhea but not all medications ready the book. I would recommend making sure Romeo is on a bland diet. I would also recommend if Romeo is still having diarrhea and the bland diet is not helping then I would bring him back to the veterinarian to discuss blood work and a fecal culture. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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    Answered By Rodrigo Roca, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Hello, sorry to hear about Romeo. Typically, metronidazole is used to treat diarrhea, however in extremely rare cases it may worsen clinical signs. Most ofter however, pets continue to have diarrhea for other reasons and not because metronidazole has worsened clinical signs. These other reasons may include thinks such as inflammation of the intestines, adverse food reactions, stress, a viral infection, bacterial infection, or even other diseases not associated with the GI tract such as liver disease or addisons diseases. Despite testing negative for parasites, Romeo may still have some parasites such as Giardia. Romeo should continue to follow up with his veterinarian as he may need different medications, diagnostics, and likely be treated for a longer period of time. Hope this helps and best of luck.

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