My son's dog

[amyc]

Well, my son's dog has osteosarcoma, so we had his front leg amputated 10 days ago. 3 days after we brought him home, and one day after he finished his cephalosporin antibiotic, he had a nasty, mucousy stool. I immediately gave him flagyl but then read that one of the meds they sent home (gabapentin) can cause lots of D, so stopped the flagyl after the one dose when his stools returned to normal way before the flagyl could have had any effect. I also discontinued the gabapentin and hoped for the best. Then 3 days ago he got nasty smelling gas and started with loose stools, one of which had blood-streaked mucus. So I started him on flagyl again. It's been 3 days of flagyl 3 times a day and his stools are loose but no more mucus or blood. I'm completely freaked out--he sleeps in my son's bed, lounges in my son's beanbag chair, and of course my son is spending lots of time cuddling with him. My son is a teenager who practices sketchy hand hygeine at best, sigh. I asked the emergency vet about oral vanco but they only know about using it for stuff like MRSA--I can't get a hold of our regular vet until Monday, but doubt they will write a script for oral vanco either.

I have had my son take probiotics a couple of times but wish I could have faith in their ability to prevent his catching C diff. At least he isn't on any antibiotics. I just wish I had gone ahead and done the 10 days of flagyl after the first episode of D, I guess. I do have some vanco that expired in 2013 and has been in climate-controlled environments so it's probably still fine...

ugh, C diff is horrible. I haven't had it in over 2 years but the anxiety it causes just won't leave me alone.

[beth22]

The dog may have something different than c diff. I can remember over the years having dogs who had bad stools like that. The vets usually did cultures to see what it was. Our last dog took Flagyl for giardia. I think the D continued even with Flagyl for a while. Flagyl is pretty harsh.

[saraht]

My big boy had c.diff twice from me, I know how it feels. It was just me and my husband back then, I always worry about them catching it now since I have a little one. They make doggy probiotics so you could get that off the vet along with the flagyl. The stuff I had for my little guy when he had colitis a couple months ago was a paste that came in a tube. I imagine you have told your son about the doggy possibly being infectious but being a teenager, most of them don't care.
Praying for a quick recovery for your dog, that your son doesn't catch this, and some piece of mind for you!

[Bobbie]

So sorry about your dog's surgery, Amy. See CDI - Animals & C. diff.

You are right. - C. diff. leaves us with everlasting anxiety. After more than 21 years, I panic at the word "antibiotic."

[seekingcure]

Hi Amy,
Just wondering how your dog is doing? It's hard when our animals get sick and we just want to help them. Hope he is doing better and the Flagyl cleared everything up. Bea

[amyc]

He is super happy and hungry, but still has very loose stools twice a day. We still have him on flagyl and on pro-pectalin tablets. I'm hoping once he is done with flagyl in a few days his stools will firm up again. I'm trying to tell myself that a fair number of people have D until they stop the flagyl and then start recovering in terms of their symptoms? I really don't want to do a home FMT on a dog.

[seekingcure]

My sister's dog was on Flagyl and pro-pectalin recently. He was not tested but had bloody, watery stools and the vet just prescribed this as my sister couldn't afford to pay for extensive testing to determine exactly what was causing it. He had loose stools pretty much the entire time he was on the Flagyl, but was fine within a few days of finishing it. I'm glad your dog is doing well. It's amazing how resilient dogs are. The just don't get depressed over things that would depress most people for months, if not years. Gotta love their attitudes!

[Bobbie]

Lately, I've wished I were a dog!!

The vet has prescribed Flagyl for several of our dogs, and it worked. (Don't remember why - some GI based problem.)