Gastroenteritis in dog

Question
My dog refused to eat yesterday morning and developed diarrhea and
vomiting in the afternoon. We took him to the vet in the evening and he was
diagnosed with gastroenteritis. The vet gave him 2 shots, Pepcid and Cerenia.
We also came home with 14 pills of Metronidazole, which he's supposed to
take twice a day for a week.

The vet says that if the dog doesn't get better we should go back to run more
tests to rule out more serious conditions such as pancreatitis or an
obstruction. The dog doesn't have abdominal pain and he was having
diarrhea, which indicates a simple gastroenteritis and not something more
serious, according to the doctor.

The dog has not vomited anymore (last episode was yesterday at 5pm) and he
hasn't had any bowel movements either. However, he is still acting very
depressed and has not eaten his food this morning. His last meal was
Wednesday afternoon. Should I be worried about pancreatitis at this point?
And is the Metronidazole indicated even if the dog is not having diarrhea or
any bowel movements whatsoever?

Thank you for your help!

Answer
Tatiana -

Gastroenteritis can take a while to treat.  Unfortunately, you pet will not get better overnight.  Your dog's recovery is influenced by the food he eats, the rest he gets and the medications he received.   Express your concerns to the veterinarian and consider having more bloodwork performed and possibly abdominal radiographs.

Metronidazole is indicated if your doctor considers it to be necessary.  Metronidazole is an antibiotic/antiprotozoal drug that is extremely effective in treating anaerobic bacterial activity.



Best Regards,

Charlotte Sherrell, DVM