Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Does adding metronidazole help dogs with severe bloody diarrhea
By Ortiz, V et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2018·Cromwell Veterinary Group, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Evaluating the effect of metronidazole plus amoxicillin-clavulanate versus amoxicillin-clavulanate alone in canine haemorrhagic diarrhoea: a randomised controlled trial in primary care practice.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with severe bloody diarrhea was treated with a combination of amoxicillin-clavulanate (an antibiotic) and either metronidazole (another antibiotic) or a saline solution. The dogs received supportive care, including intravenous fluids and pain management. After the treatment, there was no significant difference in how long the dogs stayed in the hospital or in their recovery scores, suggesting that adding metronidazole to the treatment may not be necessary for dogs with this condition. Most dogs improved with just the amoxicillin-clavulanate and supportive care.
People also search for: dog bloody diarrhea treatment · metronidazole for dogs · amoxicillin-clavulanate for dog diarrhea
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To investigate the benefit of supplementing amoxicillin-clavulanic acid therapy with metronidazole in dogs presenting to a primary care veterinary practice with severe haemorrhagic diarrhoea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective randomised blinded trial on dogs presenting with haemorrhagic diarrhoea of less than 3 days duration to a primary care veterinary hospital and also requiring intravenous fluid therapy. Cases were randomised to receive either metronidazole or saline, in addition to standard supportive therapy consisting of amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, intravenous fluid therapy, buprenorphine and omeprazole. Treatment efficacy was measured by duration of hospitalisation and daily scoring of disease severity. RESULTS: Thirty-four cases successfully completed the trial. There was no significant difference in hospitalisation time between treatment groups (mean for dogs receiving metronidazole was 29.6 hours and for controls was 26.3 hours) nor in daily clinical scores. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This study strongly suggests that addition of metronidazole is not an essential addition to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid therapy for treatment of severe cases of haemorrhagic diarrhoea in dogs.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29882249/