Anti-Nausea Meds for Dogs

I’ve previously mentioned the benefit of Antacids for dogs, but if your dog is nauseated, it is likely your vet will also prescribe something additional to antacids to control the nausea. The motion-sickness drug Cerenia worked well for Sadie. Some vets would scratch their heads that we used it, but her vet recommended it and it worked for her. The appetite stimulant Mirtazapine also has anti-nausea properties (this had to be ordered at our local pharmacy; the vet teaching hospital gave us the correct dosing instructions). Sadie was on Reglan (Metoclopramide) for her Motility Disorder, but it is also helpful in easing nausea.

I’ve said it before, but in the beginning I didn’t realize I could crush Sadie’s pills, mix them with baby cereal, and squirt a small amount via small syringe. Popping a pill for a dog that does not want to eat proved too difficult and stressful. The best way to administer medicine to a dog sick to their stomach is by giving them shots. Now, I tried to learn how to give Sadie a shot, but she did not respond well at all. How I wish I’d learned sooner! The drawback is that each shot cost $18. To take her in for a shot to be administered by the clinic would cost more. Still, if you do not yet have an accurate diagnosis for what is causing inappetance/nausea, giving meds via shot is the best way. But giving via syringe sure helped Sadie.

Helpful Web Resources for Pet Care

When you have a sick animal, inevitably you will have many questions. There were many times during Sadie’s illness that I was able to pick up the phone and chat with her veterinarian. When we switched vets, there were many days where the return call might never come. I know how busy vets are, and they cannot always take the time to call you during the day. But nor can you take your pet to the clinic every single day (although, as I’ve stated before, I have 15 receipts to show for the month of Feb ’08 alone!). Below are some helpful resources where you can find information pertaining to the health of your animal. It is not intended to be a substitute for your vet’s advice, but while you wait for their call, it’s nice to know where else to turn. These sights contain information ranging from medicine databases, to resources on specific diseases, how to interpret test results, and articles on a variety of subjects, etc.

www.marvistavet.com

www.peteducation.com

www.veterinarypartner.com

www.merckvetmanual.com

www.petplace.com

www.petshealth.com

Low Blood Sugar

When Sadie was ill, in the beginning I would ask her vet about her blood tests and what I could do to improve her levels. Since she was so focused on treating the cancer, most of her attention was on the WBC level, and not a whole lot of attention was paid to the other numbers. I do understand her reasoning; if you treat the cancer, then the whole body will get well. But unfortunately everything with Sadie was complicated. I noticed her glucose levels were always low. Never was I told that I could do something about those sugar levels! Sadie’s new vet informed me I could put a little syrup to her tongue and she would probably feel better. And she did indeed! The nutritional supplement NutriCal is also beneficial, and is actually what we used to nurse Misty back to health. If your dog is under the weather and has not eaten normally, chances are their glucose levels are low. Of course, check with your vet first, but giving a little syrup may do the trick to brighten their eyes! It did with Sadie.

Motility Disorders

My Sadie was vomiting profusely for 7 weeks before she was diagnosed as having a Motility Problem. This means she was unable to properly digest her food, and it kept coming back up. A dog should digest their food within 2-3 hours, but sometimes undigested food would sit in her gut for days. Sadie had always been a “puker” and even in healthy years she would vomit undigested kibbles---even hours after she had eaten, but I always thought this was due to hairballs (she chewed her fur). If your dog has this behavior, please mention this to your vet!

Sometimes after surgery or taking a specific medicine a dog will develop an ileus, an intestinal obstruction that prevents the contents of the intestine from proceeding to the lower bowel. We don’t know for sure that Sadie had an ileus, but we know there was some sort of motility problem. She could not properly digest her food. In late February, Reglan was prescribed and it helped. But it did not control Sadie’s vomiting. What’s more, I was still unaware that I could crush pills, so I either had to give her a shot or “pop” a pill (which I was rarely successful with either option). Once I learned I could crush pills, we were able to make sure her dosing was regular and it greatly eased her discomfort. But Reglan still was not the best medicine. Of course, Sadie had so many complications that made her way difficult. That March we took Sadie to her new vet who told us about Cisapride (aka Propulsid). (She was tested for Mega Esophagus but this was not her problem.) Being that it is no longer on the market for human consumption, it has to be mixed at a compounding pharmacy and is rather expensive, but for our baby….the results were well worth it! Cisapride is not for every dog, but it made all the difference with mine! Unfortunately, we had to insert an esophageal feeding tube in Sadie before she went on the Cisapride, so I will never know exactly how it would have helped her under pre-feeding tube circumstances. But she was able to digest her food, and the cisapride greatly helped control episodes of vomiting.

Antacids for Dogs

If your dog is experiencing gastric upsets, antacids can greatly aid in controlling excess acid. They can’t tell us with words when they’re nauseated, but if your dog is vomiting or anorexic, they’re likely nauseated. I was advised by our vet to give Sadie ¼ of a 10mg tablet of Pepcid daily (she was 10 lbs at the time). I also gave her 1/8 of a Tums tablet with each meal. There are other types of antacids that are okay for dogs and dosage depends on their weight, so check with your vet. Medical history will also factor in to what pill is appropriate (e.g., some antacids should not be taken by a dog with a heart problem). I would crush the pills, mix them with soft food, and administer them with a small syringe. Always check with your clinic before giving any meds, but as I’ve said in previous blogs, many times a vet will just assume you know what to do. I didn’t.

Taking Antibiotics? Don’t Forget the ProBiotics!

My Sadie never did well with antibiotics. Though a necessity, antibiotics can be quite harsh on the gut. Antibiotics not only kill the “bad” bacteria, they also kill the “good” bacteria/flora in the intestinal tract. This can lead to gastritis, a condition which causes severe nausea, heartburn, stomach upset and a general malaise. I speak from personal experience, as this happened to me after a round of antibiotics! For a solid month, I felt like I was on the verge of vomiting! I had to take an anti-nausea drug plus a drug to restore the healthy flora. The same reaction can occur with animals! They cannot speak English, so we must do everything to avoid such a reaction!

The solution to avoiding such a reaction to antibiotics is by also taking ProBiotics during the same time, and after, a dose of antibiotics. For Sadie, I would crush up a Yogurt Chew, purchased at my local pharmacy, and mix it w/ ¼ tsp of Baby Cereal and administered it with a 3ml syringe. Real Yogurt with live cultures can also be used. She always responded positively to this, and I could tell it helped. For all the nausea that my baby endured, there was only one time that she could not hold this mixture down. And that’s saying a lot!

Check the label and with your vet about when you should give probiotics, as there needs to be sufficient time to allow the antibiotics to work. For Sadie it was a 2-3 hour interval. How much should you give? My vet just shrugged and told me to go with my instincts. I made sure she got at least the equivalent of one tablet a day.

Re-Hydrating Your Dog

Dehydration can lead to an electrolyte imbalance, which can be life-threatening. If your dog has diarrhea or is vomiting, one excellent way to replenish fluids and essential electrolytes is by giving them Pedialyte. Gatorade is also effective in replenishing electrolytes; however, it has added sugar so Pedialyte (or a generic equivalent) is the better option. Once Pedialyte has been opened and refrigerated, be sure to check the recommended storage time.

Pedialyte can be mixed in with regular water, but if your dog will not drink it on their own, you can use a small syringe. Helpful tip: There is a tooth-gap in the back of the mouth making syringe-feeding far easier there than through the front teeth.

Always consult your vet for specific dosing, but many times a vet will assume you already know about such things. In my case, I did not, so I would take Sadie in to receive Sub-Cutaneous (needle under the skin) Fluids before using Pedialyte myself. When she was able to hold liquids down, Pedialyte was a much less expensive option.