longer-term, low-dose metronidizole use

addiebee

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My foster boy Archie- the one with ongoing GI issues - had been on a month-long course of metronidizole with really good results. Now that the drug is working its way out of his system- the puddin' poo is back.

Talked to the vet who wants to put him back on metro - lower dose, longer term - What she said was that she knows we are treating symptoms of what is probably another underlying problem causing his colitis, but it may be simpler to do this than continue to go through things... or even change his diet. Part of THAT problem is that there are six cats in my home -living communally - and I would have to change ALL of them to a limited ingredient diet. We are talking EXPENSIVE!!! She also said that even if I were to transition his food, she would want him on metro to ease any tummy and gut problems.

She is also going to check into the cost of doing the culture test for T Foetus... just in case. I have read terrible things about the med to treat that, how it is toxic to humans, how it can cause neurotox problems in cats, etc. So I would NOT put him on the drug UNLESS he tests pos. for the parasite.

Any insight, advice or suggestions would be great, since this has been going on now for more than three months. Poor boy.

Oh- tried pumpkin, he's on probiotics, etc. Didn't improve the poo.
 

sharky

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look up

Marshmellow the root not the sugar treat


slippery elm

apple pectin

have you tried feeding wet over dry?
 

strange_wings

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Originally Posted by sharky

have you tried feeding wet over dry?
You know, you may be on to something for another reason.

My cats sit down for their wet food meals and don't leave till their bowls are empty (and repeatedly licked just to make sure). If your cats will do this with wet food, too, it may be possible to give Archie a limited ingredient wet.
 
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addiebee

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Originally Posted by sharky

look up

Marshmellow the root not the sugar treat


slippery elm

apple pectin

have you tried feeding wet over dry?
Thanks, sharky. I will look up those things. You mean feed him nothing but wet food? No, I haven't tried that. I had a vet suggest just the opposite. NO wet, JUST dry.

It would be a challenge b/c I free feed, since I am not there and often come and go at odd times. They don't live with me or me them.. they are in my unoccupied condo about 7 miles from me... I moved in w/ my elderly mom and I cannot have the cats here and we cannot afford to hire someone to live with mom.

If I were to change his diet and likely the rest of the cats... what would you recommend? They are eating Authority dry Sensitive Solutions (no corn wheat or beef) and mostly Authority wet. I try to limit the corn-based treats, too... but they do get them several times a week. I bought a bag of Wellness Turkey Jerky treats to see what would happen and they love it. I would think that the OTC brands would be a little cheaper than the "prescription" diets sold through vets.
 

sharky

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OTC in general are less$$ than RX ... but remember allergies can be to any protein ie chicken ... I had a dog allergic to alot , she was NOT allergic to corn or beef
..

I will pm you later
 

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AddieBee, I certainly don't mean to scare you at all, but when I read that your kitty is on the metronidizole, alarm bells went off. When my Maverick was put on that antibiotic for a liver-related issue, my former vet prescribed the stuf for him: I since found out that that stuff can be toxic to cats.

Although metronidazole hydrochloride is excreted as approximately 50% unchanged in the urine, metronidazole benzoate must be conjugated with glucuronide to facilitate elimination, as must
all benzene moieties. Cats, unfortunately, are metabolically deficient in the ability to conjugate with glucuronide. Normally, benzyl alcohol is rapidly oxidized to benzoic acid. In most species, benzoic
acid is then metabolized to hippuric acid and benzyl glucuronide (and in some species to ornithuric acid). In the cat, only hippuric acid is formed, because that species lacks adequate glucuronic acid conjugation capacity. This results in a decreased rate of metabolism and in cumulative toxic effects of the benzene moiety. For this reason, benzoates have caused many fatal toxicities in cats, and many clinicians have been afraid to prescribe metronidazole benzoate for cats. The toxicity manifests as ataxia, hyperesthesia, fasciculations, blindness, aggression, coma, convulsions, respiratory failure,
and (ultimately) death.
The above quote is from an article that Sharky had sent to me, when I was doing research into Maverick's condition. (I tried to post the link from where that quote came from, but the page won't open for me). I'm certainly no expert and can only give an opinion, but you may want to check into the effects that the metronidizole can have, and talk with your vet about it. I took my Maverick off the stuff (and also the predisone that the vet had also prescribed for Maverick) after finding out about the two drugs, and also after getting a second opinion from another vet - who also told me that she couldn't understand why the former vet prescribed the two drugs in the first place because they have a tendency to cause more harm than good in cats.

Again, I'm no expert. Just an FYI that you may want to consider.
 

pookie-poo

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For the first 5-ish years of her life, Cleo had diarrhea issues that my vet treated with low dose metronidizole. Every time she was on it, she developed elevated liver enzymes. Luckily, they slowly returned to normal when the medtronidizole was discontinued. She had had all kinds of tests: Blood work, fecal floats, P & O, etc., and everything always came back negative. She was diagnosed with IBD (by symptoms, not biopsy, due to her CRF.) Then, all the girls wound up getting Giardia from a sewer backup. They were all given metronidizole to treat it. Cleo had VERY elevated liver enzymes again, but once the treatment was over, her liver enzymes again normalized, and she's never had a bad diarrhea problem again.
 
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addiebee

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Originally Posted by Pookie-poo

For the first 5-ish years of her life, Cleo had diarrhea issues that my vet treated with low dose metronidizole. Every time she was on it, she developed elevated liver enzymes. Luckily, they slowly returned to normal when the medtronidizole was discontinued. She had had all kinds of tests: Blood work, fecal floats, P & O, etc., and everything always came back negative. She was diagnosed with IBD (by symptoms, not biopsy, due to her CRF.) Then, all the girls wound up getting Giardia from a sewer backup. They were all given metronidizole to treat it. Cleo had VERY elevated liver enzymes again, but once the treatment was over, her liver enzymes again normalized, and she's never had a bad diarrhea problem again.
Yeah - the vet mentioned liver issues. I am going to try some of the homeopathic remedies that sharky recommended. I don't like the idea of LT, LD antibios. I also think Archie ODs on the dry food when I am not around and this could be compounding the issue.
 

sharky

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Originally Posted by AddieBee

Yeah - the vet mentioned liver issues. I am going to try some of the homeopathic remedies that sharky recommended. I don't like the idea of LT, LD antibios. I also think Archie ODs on the dry food when I am not around and this could be compounding the issue.
Can you elevate the dry food or design a box that the others can get in but not him?? or use a timed dish?
 
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addiebee

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Originally Posted by sharky

Can you elevate the dry food or design a box that the others can get in but not him?? or use a timed dish?
A timed dish might be a good idea. Archie is a very determined boy when it comes to his food!! And he is getting a little porky b/c of what I suspect - he is eating too much dry.
 

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I believe the in pouch TF tests for tritrichomonas foetus are pretty inexpensive.
Although as you say, if TF is diagnosed the treatment with Ronidazole should proceed very carefully.

On another note; a friend of mine has a cat who had pudding poo all the time, they kept testing and treating her for giardia because her vet was convinced that was the problem, but after another vet looked at the cat's file and did a test she turned out to have EPI, her pancreas wasn't working properly. She's doing fine on medication.
 
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addiebee

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Originally Posted by Mimosa

I believe the in pouch TF tests for tritrichomonas foetus are pretty inexpensive.
Although as you say, if TF is diagnosed the treatment with Ronidazole should proceed very carefully.

On another note; a friend of mine has a cat who had pudding poo all the time, they kept testing and treating her for giardia because her vet was convinced that was the problem, but after another vet looked at the cat's file and did a test she turned out to have EPI, her pancreas wasn't working properly. She's doing fine on medication.
The pouch test through this vet is almost 70 dollars WITH their rescue discount!


I am wondering if bloodwork isn't in order. I hate to do that to poor Archie... but I want to solve the symptom even if I cannot find an underlying problem. He is not an old cat maybe 2... based on the shelter vet's assessment, which I don't necessarily trust. I suspect he may have a food intolerance.
 

kittkatt

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Originally Posted by Pookie-poo

For the first 5-ish years of her life, Cleo had diarrhea issues that my vet treated with low dose metronidizole. Every time she was on it, she developed elevated liver enzymes.


That's exactly what occurred with Maverick. I have no idea just why the vet treated him with an antibiotic that raised the liver enzymes when they were already high in the first place.
Needless to say, he's no longer my vet...
 

mimosa

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Originally Posted by AddieBee

The pouch test through this vet is almost 70 dollars WITH their rescue discount!

.
I heard that they were cheap from an Aby breeder who was among the first people to recognize tritrich as a problem that the tests were a few dollars. I've looked online and found this: http://www.biomeddiagnostics.com/tfoetus, so I guess you must also be paying a lot for the vet's time and effort.
 
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addiebee

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Originally Posted by Mimosa

I heard that they were cheap from an Aby breeder who was among the first people to recognize tritrich as a problem that the tests were a few dollars. I've looked online and found this: http://www.biomeddiagnostics.com/tfoetus, so I guess you must also be paying a lot for the vet's time and effort.
Yes - and shipping - they have to do a fecal loop on him to get a sample.

I think my next move with him however is a blood panel.
 
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