Amoxicillin, Recent CD and My Dog

[lynettez]

I am a 52 yr old female recently diagnosed with CD and happily on Dificid. I have an excellent gastro doctor and am improving slowly each day. Unfortunately, yesterday my Great Pyrenees was prescribed amoxicillin for a UTI. I asked my vet about the chance of her getting CD since I brought it into our environment. While I have been obsessive with bleach, hand washing and keeping toilet lids down, I am worried that she could develop it. My vet said she never heard of CD in a dog. I read the posts here and no that is not true. My question is can a dog get it like a human from antiobiotic use? If so, how do you get a vet to test for it if they don't seem to know about it?

[beth22]

Hi and welcome to the site. Please read the first forum for more information and posting guidelines (standard introduction).

Yes, dogs can get c difficile and the lab would have to test a stool sample. They are usually treated with Flagyl. Flagyl is given for various parasitic infections too, like giardia, so dogs take that medication for those things.

I would print out some articles regarding c difficile and dogs or other animals and bring it to your vet if your dog develops symptoms. Hopefully he/she won't.

[roy]

Exactly the same as in humans!
If your dog gets the runs for more than a day or two the vet tests a stool sample, the treatment is flagyl if positive.

A Great Pyrenees with D!!
Hope you have got a row boat!

[AnxiousJ]

I hope you feel better and she doesn't get it. If I'm not mistaken, I believe Pet Supplies Plus and some other stores sell canine probiotics. That may be an option.

[amyc]

Dogs can take human probiotics. A great big dog like that could take your same dose probably if you have some. Ask your vet. Dog colons are shorter than ours, and flagyl seems to work for clostridial disease better than it does for humans. Vets usually look at the stool through a microscope, and if they see clostridial of any variety they just treat with flagyl.