Dog on enrofloxacin & terbutaline: diarrhea & fast heart rate normal?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Adrian. I am sorry to hear about all of her recent troubles. I would give her water through a syringe in small frequent amounts. One of the main medications for heart failure is furosemide (lasix). This is a diuretic to pull fluid off the lungs. This medication is life saving, but can cause dehydration and secondary kidney damage. So it is important for her to stay hydrated. Hopefully her attitude and appetite will pick up once the medications are working. Her breathing rate and effort are big indicators if the heart drugs are working. Her respiratory rate should be less than 30 breaths/min when resting if the fluid has resolved. She should also breathe easily and without obvious effort. The diarrhea can be secondary to the heart disease itself or even the stress of illness. Hopefully it will resolve with the new medication. If she is struggling to breathe, isn't eating or drinking well tomorrow and the diarrhea persists, she will need to see her veterinarian again. It is important to carefully monitor her blood work and blood pressure after starting heart medications. I hope this information helps!

It is hard to say if the diarrhea is related to Summer’s respiratory issues or not. If it was parasites causing the problem, they certainly could be related. Also, sometimes certain antibiotics can upset the gut flora (the normal bacteria in the gut) and can cause diarrhea. Regardless of the cause of the diarrhea, starting Summer on metronidazole and a probiotic is a good idea. This is the typical treatment for diarrhea. I can understand that having your dog on two different antibiotics can be concerning but sometimes it is necessary. Metronidazole is great for diarrhea because it specifically targets the type of bacteria that overgrows causing the diarrhea. At this point I would recommend continuing the current therapy your vet prescribed. The diarrhea should start to resolve in 3-5 days. If this is not the case you may want to have a recheck at your vet. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Stella. While all medications can have side effects, antibiotics typically cause gastrointestinal upset. Be sure to give the ciprofloxacin with food as this can help decrease these effects. If this does not help, then you will need to contract her veterinarian. She should be seen today if she is acting sick as such being lethargic or refusing to eat or drink as there are other causes of the symptoms you have described not related to her medications. I hope this information helps!

I am worried that the increased heart rate may be more due to his heart failure and more fluids around his lungs or in his abdomen. I would talk to your vet about his meds. They may want to increase the dosage of all the meds to help him compensate. They may also add meds like a diuretic to help get some of the fluids off the chest. I am so sorry you are having to go through this. Right sided heart failure is usually caused by heartworms most commonly. Heartworms may not be very common in your area but it may be worth checking. If they haven't already, I would ask them to check for heartworms. I hope this helps!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Indy. No, diarrhea is not a common side effects from these medications. Metronidazole, in particular, is used to treat diarrhea. I recommend contacting his veterinarian with the update on his new symptoms. If he is otherwise doing well, it may be recommended to fast him for a period of time to allow his GI tract to rest. I hope this information helps!

These are concerns you should absolutely discuss with your vet. Some of the appetite disruption could be secondary to the antibiotics. The vet may start Kyber on an anti-nausea medication and probiotics and a special food for this. The pulse is concerning and I can't say is directly related to the medications. The vet may want to do a cardiac workup to see what is going on there. Dark yellow urine may be normal if Kyber is mildly dehydrated from not drinking enough water.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry Zeus has been so sick. I recommend contacting Zeus' veterinarian about his new signs. Diarrhea can be a normal side effect of antibiotics, but does need to be addressed, especially if he is not eating well. They may need to see Zeus for a recheck to assess if it is a reaction to medication or change in his illness. Many time enrofloxacin (baytril) is the best antibiotic to treat an infection even in young puppies. Discuss risks versus benefit with your veterinarian, but it is often used safely in severe illness. The concern of baytril in puppies was puppies given more than 2 times the recommended dose for 30 days developed cartilage abnormalities. A puppy recieving the approriate dose should be be at very high risk this complication. Please call Zeus' veterinarian this morning about his inappatence and diarrhea. I hope he continues to improve.