Antibiotics help keep pets free from bacterial infections. More effective drugs in this genre may also have anti-protozoal capabilities. Dogs may experience acute pains and other abdominal discomforts upon being infected. Drugs such as metronidazole can help treat diarrhea as well as pain in your furry friend’s tummy. Among dogs, this drug can act against anaerobic bacterial strands, onset of parasites and protozoal infections. This med can also treat swelling of the large intestine of your canine pet. But, what are the dosage instructions? It is a good practice to know more on this front before starting your pet’s treatment plan.
Antibiotics help destroy the DNA of invading microbes. Metronidazole has a fairly wide range of properties; it can work against the invasion of bacterial and protozoal infections of multiple types. Most common among these attacks are witnessed in the gastric tract of your furry friend. Such attacks are mainly due to the onset of microbes like B. coli, Trichomonas, Giardia to name a few. The anti-inflammatory properties of metronidazole are known to have a direct impact on your pet’s gastric health.
In most cases, the active ingredients also work to suppress the immunity levels. You need to know that the immunosuppressant properties of metronidazole are not large enough to trigger risks of associated infections. Key chemicals of the drug are also known to breach the blood-brain barricade. This helps treat neuropathy or other peripheral conditions of your dog. Also, these ingredients can also get into your canine’s bones; as a result, it can be a cure for your dog’s bone problems (mostly infections) as well as dental conditions.
Pointers to be aware of before giving metronidazole to dogs
Like many other forms of antiprotozoal drugs, metronidazole is also likely to cause a few side effects. Common among such discomforts are diarrhea or watery stools, spells of vomiting, nausea and pain in your pet’s abdomen. Some of the uncommon side effects are traces of blood in urine, excessive drooling and a marked reduction in appetite level. As mentioned above, the key ingredients move in between the brain-blood barricade; this can lead to a few neurological problems such as staying depressed, tilting of your pet’s head, loss of coordination, epileptic seizures, convulsions or fits. In some breeds, paralysis may also occur in all four limbs of the dog.
Paralysis of limbs is a serious concern, and may require medical help on an urgent mode. However, stiffening of the head or being slightly depressed is not very serious. In some remote instances, your dog may witness enlargement or swelling of the pancreas. If left untreated, it may cause other abdominal and gastric dysfunction; in all, the wellbeing of your dog’s gut may tend to get affected.
Safe administration of metronidazole onto dogs
This drug cannot be given to your furry pal through the self-medication mode or as an over the counter med. It needs to be always accompanied by a qualified vet’s prescription. It is important to know the proper body weight of your pet and administer suiting dosage levels, as instructed by your vet. In most cases, dosages may range from 5 to 15 milligrams (mg) per kilogram of your pet’s body weight. As the pills are relatively easy to divide, you can ensure accurate dosing of this drug.
Some pet owners may give a larger dose of metronidazole; this may be done out of their enthusiasm to bring about a faster cure to their dog. But, in most cases, an overdose may only worsen your pet’s current clinical condition. Signs of an overdose of metronidazole include being dizzy, spells of drowsiness, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting.
It takes about 90 to 100 minutes for the active chemicals of metronidazole to start functioning. As the timeframe of action is fairly short, the effects may also go away sooner. As per clinical studies done on dogs, all traces of the med can get flushed out of your pet in less than 30 hours. You need to remember that metronidazole must never be used on pregnant canines as well as puppies. Also, this is a no-go for dogs living with kidney problems such as drop in filtration rates or other conditions of renal dysfunction. It is equally dangerous to administer metronidazole to your canine friends that have a lower count of white blood cells or other neurological conditions such as convulsions, seizures or fits.
If you are giving other drugs to the dog, your treating vet must stay aware of all such medications. In general, inform your vet about all treatment plans currently pursued. Make a list of all meds that are being administered; while compiling this list, include over the counter meds, prescription drugs, herbal supplements or other forms of dietary aids. If your dog’s current medication plan(s) include drugs such as warfarin or other forms of blood thinning meds, muscle relaxants or antiepileptic drugs such as phenytoin or phenobarbital, your vet must know the duration of the dosage plan.
Last but not least, while giving metronidazole – ensure to give dosages of probiotics. This helps restore the balance of gut bacteria and also ensures proper wellbeing of your pet’s gastric tract. Above all, you need to remember that no two dogs are the same. The way metronidazole works for your pet may be quite different from how it works on another breed. Hence, talk to your vet and share more details about your dog’s breed, age, gender, prior health conditions and allergies. Consult with the vet about likely risks of seizures, shakes or tremors.
In sum, the antibiotic drug metronidazole works against bacterial as well as protozoal infections. It is found to be effective against B. coli, Trichomonas, Giardia and a few other strands of microbes. Immunosuppressant capabilities of this med are not big enough to compromise your pet’s immunity and may seldom trigger serious infections. As the key chemicals of metronidazole can travel between blood-brain barriers, it can cure a few neurological conditions as well. The ability to penetrate into bones helps treat dental as well as bone health conditions. In most cases, dosage plan ranges from 5 to 15 mg per kg of your canine’s weight. But, dosages may vary based on your canine friend’s breed, age and body weight. Hence, it is a safe practice to talk to your vet prior to starting the dosage plan.