How do you like that catchy title? 💩
Metronidazole (Flagl) is a medication frequently prescribed to dogs with acute colitis, which presents with diarrhea. It is a drug I avoid using with my dogs because it has the potential for neurotoxic side effects, it is a carcinogen, and because most cases of diarrhea are self-limiting and easily managed with dietary interventions.
I felt somewhat validated for my long-standing caution about this drug by a study summary I read this morning in Clinician’s Brief, which is a sort of online veterinary newsletter.
Here are two excerpts from the Key Takeaways of that summary:
Dietary management alone more effectively and safely treats noninfectious acute colitis than in combination with metronidazole administration.
Metronidazole is unnecessary and detrimental in noninfectious cases of acute colitis.
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💩 happens.
Obi’s humans have found Slippery Elm to be effective with diarrhea, others have reported success with Tylan Powder, and some swear by Olewo Carrots. I use FortiFlora and dietary changes when a dog present with loose stools.
Diarrhea that doesn’t go away and/or is accompanied by other symptoms needs our veterinarian’s attention but the occasional bout in an otherwise happy dog is not a 911, and do think twice before using Metronidazole.
I hope your Wednesday is 💩-free!
NOTE: Metronidazole is an important treatment for some of the more unusual and serious causes of diarrhea in dogs. Unusual is the key word there — and occasional diarrhea in dogs is not all that unusual.
Here is the reference for the original article that was summarized in Clinician’s Brief:
Rudinsky AJ, Parker VJ, Winston J, et al. Randomized controlled trial demonstrates nutritional management is superior to metronidazole for treatment of acute colitis in dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2022;260(S3):S23-S32. doi:10.2460/javma.22.08.0349