Metronidazole

[barbb]

Here is the Wiki definition for metronidazole and what it is used for :-)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metronidazole

What would we do without Wikipedia

 

[jaffacake]

I am learning a lot from you guys, for which I thank you!

Will ring the vet`s in morning and see what she thinks. Maisie has done anouther nice poop this morning but I`m sure it will be like all the times before. You think 'That`s it, she`s better.' Then the next day your wiping up poop again. She`s back to her normal self though after her trauma on thursday and even managed a spaz attack in the bedroom yesterday.

Why cant they do a palatable version?! When Kitty had anti-biotics twice before it was a palatable one and I can`t tell you how glad I was because I can imagine pilling him and I`m thinking blood shed, tattered skin, limbs riped off... Do you know he just sat down and ate it from my fingers?! He loved it!

 

[jaffacake]

Well, I rang the vet`s and they said take her in for an injection instead. So we went in at 3pm and she wasn`t sick so I`m presuming it was the tablet last time.

They gave her some Clamoxyl. Have to update them on wednesday. Poor maisie, she must be fed up with going there

 

[betsygee]

Metronidazole (aka Flagyl) is a staple in my house, it ranks right on up there with food and litter as a necessity. 2 of my girls have IBD and need to take it on occasion so I keep it handy.

I'm not at all surprised your kitty vomited in the car after taking it. I'm guessing it went down on an empty stomach, then the car ride after being at the vets (think motion sickness on top of stress)..........I think I'd throw up, too

. Seriously, though, this drug is notorious for causing stomach upset and lack of appetite; it tastes very, very bitter & if kitty gets the slightest taste of it in her mouth, she is guaranteed to foam & salivate like nothing you've ever seen. You've got to be really, really quick & good at pilling a cat to get these down them without them ever tasting it. I give the pills, but I've been pilling mine for 7 years and have just gotten the hang of it. My first few tries pilling Gabby with Flagyl were a nightmare........and on rare occasions, if I don't get that pill just right on the back of her tongue, it'll still happen. All of that being said, it's a great antibiotic.......does the trick 9 times out of 10 with mine.

Always, always give it on a full stomach. If you've already been giving it & she doesn't want to eat, you may need to skip a dose or two until she's eating again, then re-start--only giving it when you're sure she has eaten. Also, double check with your vet about getting it compunded to one of the flavored liquids--might be easier. If, despite giving it on a full stomach, she still seems too sick or lethargic, check with your vet. It can cause lethargy, but it's always a good idea to ask if the cat seems sicker on the drugs than she was with the original problem. Good Luck...

I know this is a very old thread but I was looking for help with a cat who's recently started spitting up/drooling out most of her metronidazole, and saw this thread.  I had no idea it was supposed to be given on a full stomach and I've been giving it to her first thing in the morning.  Poor baby, she probably hates me.  I'll try feeding her first and then administering.  This site has been a life saver, thanks for the tips.

 

[denice]

It also helps to use gel caps.  They are like the old fashioned capsules that can be easily pulled apart.  Cut up the pill and put inside the gel cap, close it and give to the cat.  Hopefully they will swallow it quickly so it doesn't open in their mouth.  My vet gave it to me already done like that.  It worked like a charm until I didn't get one far enough back and he worked it in  his mouth until it opened.

 

[betsygee]

I think I've discovered a new trick.  This poor kitty has IBD and also herpes virus--she's all white and has those drippy eyes.  Turns out she LOVES the taste of lysine treats (Enisly-F lysine treats).  So now I make sure she has eaten, then I give her the meds, then I give her a couple of the lysine treats.  I'm kind of thinking it takes the taste of the metro out of her mouth!  I've only been doing that for a couple of feedings/meds administration, but it seems to help her tolerate swallowing the metro, so we'll see if it keeps working.

 

[betsygee]

Another metro question--I thought it had to be refrigerated. The woman we got these cats from had it refrigerated but when my spouse went to the vet to pick up the refill, they had it in a cupboard. He asked about it, and they told him that the liquid metro does NOT need to be refrigerated. A couple of websites I've looked at indicate it should be. What do you all do--refrigerate or not?

 

[imbri]

betsygee- it depends on who made the liquid.  Some compounded versions need refrigeration to stabilize the flavoring components, most don't.  Metronidazole by itself is a very stable drug, we do not need to refrigerate ours.

That being said, it can help to cut the taste if it is cold when administered.
 

 

[betsygee]

Okay--thanks for the info!

 

[ravencorbie]

Wow - this makes me feel a lot better.  My new cat has juvenile gingivitis, and they gave me Flagyl (metronidazole) and Clindamycin for it.  My version does need to be refrigerated.  I've had so many difficulties getting Iris to take her medication.  I tried doing it the way my vet showed me (holding by the scruff), but that didn't work.  I tried wrapping her in a towel, and that worked twice, but the third time I tried, she scratched me so badly I had to let her go.  That was after the Clinda, so I still had to give her the Flagyl.  I managed to get her again and put her on the floor.  I used my legs to support her back and used my left (non-dominant) hand to lift up her mouth.  I got it in.

Since then, I've used that same procedure twice more without getting scratched and able to get all of the medicine down.  I had no idea this medication was that horrible (in terms of taste/ease of administering, not effectiveness!), so I feel a lot better about my difficulties.

The gelcap idea sounds good, but I don't know if I could get all the needed liquid into a gelcap, and I'm also not sure about how to give a pill (this is my first cat and the first time I've given a medication to one).

 

[betsygee]

Wow - this makes me feel a lot better.  My new cat has juvenile gingivitis, and they gave me Flagyl (metronidazole) and Clindamycin for it.  My version does need to be refrigerated.  I've had so many difficulties getting Iris to take her medication.  I tried doing it the way my vet showed me (holding by the scruff), but that didn't work.  I tried wrapping her in a towel, and that worked twice, but the third time I tried, she scratched me so badly I had to let her go.  That was after the Clinda, so I still had to give her the Flagyl.  I managed to get her again and put her on the floor.  I used my legs to support her back and used my left (non-dominant) hand to lift up her mouth.  I got it in.

Since then, I've used that same procedure twice more without getting scratched and able to get all of the medicine down.  I had no idea this medication was that horrible (in terms of taste/ease of administering, not effectiveness!), so I feel a lot better about my difficulties.

The gelcap idea sounds good, but I don't know if I could get all the needed liquid into a gelcap, and I'm also not sure about how to give a pill (this is my first cat and the first time I've given a medication to one).

I can relate, Raven.  I've had cats before but not had to give meds before so it's been a learning curve to figure out what does and doesn't work.  

 

[alexandrapalace]

I came across this thread while looking for information on metronidazole. My one-year-old kitty Cicero was given metro for an unknown illness that caused diarrhea, lethargy and fever.

It's been three days with the antibiotics and he seems sicker on them than he was with the initial problem. He's extremely lethargic, vomiting (or making gagging noises without bringing anything up), not eating and still having diarrhea. At this point we're wondering if we should stop the treatment and hope the initial problem has resolved itself.

I know with humans you're supposed to finish the prescription; does the same apply to cats or can we give our poor baby a break?

 

[ravencorbie]

Personally, I would talk to the vet.  Unfortunately, vomiting and diarrhea are side effects of Metronidazole.  When I, (yes, a human) had a bacterial infection that caused stomach issues, I was on the human form of Metronidazole and Ciprofloxacin.  I had green diarrhea until I was off the antibiotics, but it did clear up the actual infection.  I thought at the time that it just wasn't working and was making things worse, but once I was off the medication, all of it was cleared up.  I think if I hadn't taken the medication, the bacterial infection would still be there.

On the other hand, my mom had an antibiotic for flu-like symptoms (dizziness, fever, and lethargy), and she had to stop taking it after about 5 days because it really was making things worse and also caused nausea.  I don't think it was Metronidazole, but it was a similar situation.

Either way, though, I'd talk to the vet to find out.  In my case, it was best that I continued the medication, but for my mom, it was better that she stopped it.  Once your vet has all the information he/she will be able to give you a more personalized answer, as your vet knows your cat much better than we do, and has examined him.

 

[alexandrapalace]

Hmmm. Well, he does only have to take it for 2 more days, and tomorrow is a holiday here so the vet won't be open anyway. I guess we can stay the course and call the vet on Tuesday. It's just hard to see my normally-energetic kitty lying around like he's half-dead. Thanks for the input ^_^

 

[alexandrapalace]

Just an update: Roey is doing MUCH better since yesterday. He spent yesterday morning chasing his brother around the house as usual. He is eating and drinking more generous amounts on his own and he even brought me his favorite toy at 5 this morning (a sure sign that he's feeling better!).

His stools are still pretty loose and he's still dry-heaving from time to time (nausea?), but overall a vast improvement.

So for any other cat parents encountering metronidazole for the first time as we were, these were our key learnings:

- It took a full 72 hours or 8 doses of the drug before we saw any improvement in Roey

- Roey was extremely lethargic and anorexic. We had to administer water via syringe for a couple of days just to make sure he wasn't getting dehydrated

- Seeing the diarrhea Roey had on this drug gave me sympathy cramps

 

[christine l]

Where can I get empty gel caps?

 

[denice]

When I had to give this to my cat the vet gave it to me in the gel caps.  She, well I'm sure it was a vet tech, cut up the pills and put them into the caps for me.  That worked until I didn't get one far enough back in his mouth and he worked it apart in his mouth.  I haven't tasted it but from what I understand that stuff is extremely bitter.  I would call your vet's office to see if they have them.

 

[betsygee]

Well, I've continued to experiment with administering the metro.  One cat takes it without any problems.  The other poor girl just drools it out, she looks so sad when I give it to her.  But she also takes budesonide.  It must taste better because when I put the metro in the syringe and then top it off with the budesonide, it goes down a lot easier and she doesn't spit it up nearly as much.  

 

[fredcat]

I came across this site when I was recently prescribed metronidazole for my cat. He was discovered to be severely constipated and then developed Pancreatitis (poor kitty keeps vomiting). He is extremely temperamental and smart when it comes to giving him meds. I tried pill form (it worked but i needed two people for it and we would have to strategically sneak up on him first so he wouldn't run and hide). After a week I decided to convert it to a liquid (thinking they would add something to make it taste better). I sure was wrong. No matter how good I was at shooting it into the back of his mouth, right near his throat, he would salivate/foam at the mouth. We became concerned that he wasn't absorbing it enough and the vomitting came back intermittently. My vet recommended I mix it with a bit of wet food (so it tastes better) and give it to him through the syringe that way. Let me just say IT WORKED LIKE A CHARM. It felt like a bit of a science experiment at first-I had to mix the dose of metro with a tiny bit of water and wet food and then mash it up real good until I could suck it up with the syringe. He barely salivated at all!!!! Only a tiny bit of spit/foam/meds came back up (about the size of a quarter). He had a funny look on his face and I could tell he still didn't like the taste but boy-oh-boy it worked so much better!! I picked up a lot of tips from this site so I just HAD to share my newly discovered method with everyone!! Also, squirting a bit of water into my cats mouth after helped him wash it down.

Good luck everyone! 

 

[nizam han]

Hi, I am Nizam (35) , I am from İstanbul, Turkey. My cat has just diagnosed IBD, like your 2 cats. I would be very grateful if you tell me that what should I do now. I know it is a very general question so I am sorry but when I saw that you were saying that your cats with IBD are still alive after six years, I couldn't belive my eyes. what a bad disease is this IBD. I hate it. but I know I have to protect my cat (he's a 10 years old). I want to ask you some questions if possible:

1-have you ever used a glucocorticoid like prednisolon or prednison or any other corticosteroid if so could you give me detailed info about how should I addministrate them well, actually I know something about them but for example could I apply a glukokorticoid SC (no idea).

2-does metranidasole enough for IBD?

3-any complementary food or probiotics that you used and well worked? 

4-Do I have to use metranidazol every other day? 

thank you!