Eating issues after antibiotics

[Keira25]

My 9 1/2 year old girl had to go on antibiotics for a skin issue after we tried everything to avoid it. The vet wasn't sure what it was, and there was nothing to scrape, but the antibiotics cleared it up. Was on them for 4 weeks, was fine for the first 2 weeks, then started not wanting to eat etc. We got through the 4 weeks with Pepcid etc. but with her barely eating and I expected her to return to normal after a few days. She seems to have lost her appetite for anything she ate before antibiotics, even canned salmon she used to love. I finally gave her bread, which she devoured, and then gave her sardines, which she loved. Her kibble is Precise Holistic Complete. She maybe eats a cup a day now, only because I put sardines in it, but if she had her way, she'd eat around it. Won't eat UT Strength chews she used to regard as treats. At this point, I'm happy she's eating anything, but it's just really odd. Her behavior and energy seems fine. Has anyone run into this? I would say she's being manipulative, but the fact she's not eating things she regarded as treats before has me puzzled. If she is now going to be mostly a sardines and bread girl, how much should I give? I'm giving her a whole can (3.75 oz) twice a day with a little kibble, and sometimes a slice of bread.

 

[Lori]

Maybe try yogurt? Just make sure there's no artificial sweetener in it. Antibiotics change the flora in the gut. Eating yogurt, with live cultures, will help re-establish the good flora.

Also, is she on any type of pain meds? I only ask because when my senior newf was on pain meds there came a time when he didn't want to eat. We ran blood work and found his liver enzymes were elevated. The vet said this can cause nausea.

 

[Keira25]

Thanks, I will try the yogurt. She didn't have it pre-antibiotics so she'll probably love it! She is on Vetprofen, but she's not nauseous now, she just won't eat anything she used to eat before antibiotics. If I gave her a loaf of bread, or a pound of sardines she'd eat the whole thing I'm sure. She's not lethargic and since I gave her the bread, no signs of nausea. I know they are necessary at times, but I hate antibiotics.

 

[DAWNMERIE]

I think you can look up TerriW's recent thread, with what Peter recommends for the Fish & Bread diet. I had a similar issue once before with Zeke on doxy, 2 weeks into the antibiotic he was acting off, personally I felt that his belly was the issue. I think it made him feel different after he ate. (you could tell when it set in by the way he was acting) I put him on probios and within a few weeks seems to pick back up where we left off.

 

[Leonard and his bud Snuffles]

Snuffles loses his appitite when on Cephalexin. Back here in the fall, I think he was on it for a month or more. One time after putting the meds on the back of his tounge, I noticed a metalic smell (taste) on my hand. I gather that is a side effect that is a human complaint of the drug. Snuffles lost about 10 pounds during the episode.

 

[Keira25]

Thanks everyone for all the advice. I will check out TerriW's thread on the bread and sardines. I bought a small bag of Holistic Select salmon and anchovy and sardine flavor to see if I give her a different kibble if she would go for it. If not, back to bread and sardines for now!

 

[nowhavethreebears]

My 9 1/2 year old girl had to go on antibiotics for a skin issue after we tried everything to avoid it. The vet wasn't sure what it was, and there was nothing to scrape, but the antibiotics cleared it up. Was on them for 4 weeks,

I am going through the same thing right now with my just turned 9 year old boy. Skin scrapes showed nothing. Vet decided it's a bacterial thing and Gabe is on Simpicef for two weeks. Also getting melaseb baths twice weekly.

The vet was concerned at his visit Friday because he'd lost 13 lb since his last visit. So he is also on strict orders to gain some before his recheck in two weeks. Fingers crossed that he doesn't go off his food.

Your girl wasn't at the groomer shortly before this happened by any chance?

 

[Keira25]

It was actually at the groomers that I noticed the extent of the problem. When we were blowing her dry I could see round patches of bare skin. I used leave on medication lotion which seemed to help for awhile, then it really started to get bad, bald patches started showing up, mostly on her back. The cephalexin cleared it up completely. She was on it for 4 weeks. She does go to the groomer every 6 weeks. It did occur to me that she might have picked up something from there, but I trust my groomer to have told me if she had other dogs who had the same thing. She has groomed Keira for 9 years. By the way, I fed her the Holistic Select salmon and anchovy and sardine flavor kibble with a can of sardines on top and she gobbled it down. I gave her another 1/2 cup with a few blueberries on it and she wolfed that down too. I guess I'm OK if I don't feed her anything I fed her pre-antibiotic! Strange. I hope your boy is OK, 13 pounds is a lot. If he gets fussy, try the sardine and bread thing. I've talked to several people with senior dogs who used bread to get them through fussy eating times.

 

[nowhavethreebears]

I was just wondering because Gabriel was fine when he was groomed then the spots started to appear about two weeks later. His are mostly on his back, too though he has a few lower on his flank.
I was thinking he might have got something from the clipper blades or something.
I am glad to hear your girl finally ate well.
Fortunately Gabe has a hearty appetite all the time. I'm just hoping that doesn't change.
He has a really bad heart and no exercise tolerance. Vet thinks it's just old dog muscle wasting. But if he hasn't gained, or has lost more he's getting a full blood workup when he goes back.

 

[Keira25]

These skin things, as I call them, are so difficult to figure out. The timing of yours certainly suggests he picked something up at the groomer. I hope the antibiotics work for him as well. I wish I could tell you what my girl had, but the vet couldn't figure it out. I'm also hoping the introduction of new food doesn't upset her stomach tonight!

 

[NinaA]

Moonlight has been on antibiotics this time for almost 3 weeks. She was completely off her feed and I tried everything. Finally took all meds out of her food and she started eating. I think she could smell the pills in the food and just didn't want any part of it. It became easier to just feed her sans pills and then shove the pills down afterwards. Worked like a charm.