Flagyl and Loss of Appetite

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Stacey - 13 Sep 2003 18:35 GMT

My vet prescribed Flagyl for my cat who is showing signs of IBD. He wanted
to try that out before going to prednisone. It seems to me that since
Sebastian has been on Flagyl his appetite has decreased. He shows interest
in food then only eats a little. His appetite was better even with the IBD
prior to taking the Flagyl. I did a little research and found that Flagyl
can cause a decrease in appetite but it isn't common, or?

Have any of you experienced loss of appetite with your cat when s/he was on
Flagyl? I don't know if it is coincidence or if the Flagyl is causing it.
I will be calling the vet on Monday.

Thank you,

Stacey

--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cultivate modesty in the midst of good fortune,
But in times of adversity preserve your dignity.

-Tirukkural 97:963

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Mary - 13 Sep 2003 20:21 GMT

>Have any of you experienced loss of appetite with your cat when s/he was on
>Flagyl? I don't know if it is coincidence or if the Flagyl is causing it.
>I will be calling the vet on Monday.

Flagyl can cause loss of appetite. I just googled flagyl and side effect and
got the below. Also antibiotics can kill the good bacteria, gut flora, which
makes it tough to digest food. You might want to give your cat some probiotics,
bene-bac sold at Petco..

Common Side Effects

Check with your doctor if any of the following side effects continue or are
bothersome:

Diarrhea
dizziness or lightheadedness
headache
loss of appetite
nausea or vomiting
stomach pain or cramps
Less frequent or rare
Check with your doctor if any of the following side effects continue or are
bothersome:

change in taste sensation
dryness of mouth
unpleasant or sharp metallic taste
Check With Your Doctor
Less common
any vaginal irritation, discharge, or dryness not present before use of this
medicine
clumsiness or unsteadiness
mood or other mental changes
skin rash, hives, redness, or itching
sore throat and fever
stomach and back pain (severe)
For injection form
Pain, tenderness, redness, or swelling over vein in which the medicine is given

Notify Doctor Immediately
Less common
numbness, tingling, pain, or weakness in hands or feet
Rare
convulsions (seizures)

Other Notes
Metronidazole (flagyl) may cause dark urine in some patients. This is temporary
and will go away when you stop taking this medicine.

Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some patients. If you
notice any other effects, check with your doctor. This information is meant
only as a guideline - always consult a physician or pharmacist for complete
information about prescription medications.

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Cheryl - 14 Sep 2003 21:15 GMT

> My vet prescribed Flagyl for my cat who is showing signs of IBD.
> He wanted to try that out before going to prednisone. It seems to
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> s/he was on Flagyl? I don't know if it is coincidence or if the
> Flagyl is causing it. I will be calling the vet on Monday.

I believe Flagyl causes the digestive system to slow down. My cat is
on it for IBD and while he still has chronic diarrhea, I've noticed
that he doesn't have the volume of diarrhea that he has without it.
What symptoms of IBD does your cat have? There are many.

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Stacey - 14 Sep 2003 22:09 GMT

> > My vet prescribed Flagyl for my cat who is showing signs of IBD.
> > He wanted to try that out before going to prednisone. It seems to
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> that he doesn't have the volume of diarrhea that he has without it.
> What symptoms of IBD does your cat have? There are many.

He threw up twice two weeks ago had had runny poops. There was a little
brownish-pink poo on his butt. I called the vet and was told to watch him
for signs of obstruction. This past week had runny poops and a slight loss
of appetite. I saw a spot of blood next to the litter box. That was when I
made an appt. for him and was given the prescription for Flagyl. He has had
it on occasion, the worst was when his co-cat Cygne died in late '98 and
loss 1/10 of his body weight. I had a major upset two weeks ago and wonder
if that upset him and brought it back. I'm glad to be bringing him to rule
out lymphoma.

Stacey

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Cheryl - 14 Sep 2003 22:34 GMT

I had a major upset two weeks ago and wonder

> if that upset him and brought it back. I

Stress can bring on many things. I think the prescription for flagyl
for the runny poops is pretty standard but a good start.

I'm glad to be bringing him

> to rule out lymphoma.

Scary. Please let us know what you find out.

As far as the appetite, my cat had anorexia before the IBD was
diagnosed (biopsy) and once he was stablized from hepatic lipidosis,
his diarrhea started up full force. Before flagyl was ever suggested,
he was having diarrhea probably 8-10 times per day and eating like he
was starving. He probably was. Plus he was/is on prednisone so that
causes the appetite to increase, too. I believe he is now down to
maybe 3 movements per day, but could be more. Just judging by clumps
but I have another cat who shares his boxes and it's all but
impossible to tell the difference between his diarrhea and urine
sometimes.

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Karen M. - 15 Sep 2003 00:55 GMT

>>My vet prescribed Flagyl for my cat who is showing signs of IBD.
>>He wanted to try that out before going to prednisone. It seems to
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> on it for IBD and while he still has chronic diarrhea, I've noticed
> that he doesn't have the volume of diarrhea that he has without it.

Apologize to poor Shadow for me but when I read "volume of diarrhea" I
had to gag then laugh... ;) How is he doing, by the way, now that I've
insulted the poor dear???

xoxo,
K

> What symptoms of IBD does your cat have? There are many.

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Cheryl - 15 Sep 2003 00:49 GMT

> Apologize to poor Shadow for me but when I read "volume of
> diarrhea" I had to gag then laugh... ;) How is he doing, by the
> way, now that I've insulted the poor dear???

LOL I don't think he would be offended. He has an amazing appetite
and hates me for holding back on the dry food but is eating canned 2x
per day and just a little dry. I can't help mentioning the diarrhea
because I've had to put litterboxes in several areas so they are
always accessable... he's got gas with it too, so hearing a cat fart
in the middle of this night makes me cringe to think if he's feeling
pain but he doesn't seem to be and he's still pretty pinkish in his
mouth. It always tickles me when he plays with toys and Bonnie keeps
him on his toes even though she's already learned he doesn't like to
play with her like Shamrock does. She just sort of bats at his tail
sometimes.

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Karen M. - 15 Sep 2003 01:13 GMT

>>Apologize to poor Shadow for me but when I read "volume of
>>diarrhea" I had to gag then laugh... ;) How is he doing, by the
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> play with her like Shamrock does. She just sort of bats at his tail
> sometimes.

That's so cute!! My dog has a "sensitive stomach" and when he gets hold
of something he shouldn't oh my god the diarrhea is just foul! So's the
gas! I can't imagine having a chronic case like poor Shadow, so I'm glad
the "volume" is down... :)

K

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Karen M. - 15 Sep 2003 01:13 GMT

Oh, by the way - when I said "cute" I meant Shadow playing with Bonnie,
not the farting and diarrhea... ;)

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