nervousness on Metronidazole antibiotics

[swampmaxmum]

the tube and the package insert don't say how much to use. I'm just using a tiny bit on my fingertip. Do you think that's enough? I put it on their gums and they didn't mind the gel but did mind my opening their mouths to get at the gum!

[madkittyrescue]

at least he is feeling better tho.. that's the main thing!!!

Good luck with the Pet Dent!   lol

[Maddiesmum]

swatting da Bird = feeling better

[swampmaxmum]

thanks! He took it for 6 days (meomy having annihilated one tablet while attempting to use the pill cutter  ) but the vet said 6 days should be ok. Apparently 5 is the minimum. He seems to be feeling hungrier now that he's off them and is more back to normal. Even had a swat at da Bird  and 'caught' it while perched on his radiator.
His breath's a lot better but I now have to start him on.......(drum roll)......the Pet Dent. He's not going to be happy about that 

[madkittyrescue]

Just caught up on this thread as I'm way behind on posts.

Sorry to hear about the problems swampy's having.  Nerviousness is a typical side effect of taking the metronidiazol (sp?)   we have had several cats that have become erratic in behaviour and freaky whilst on it.

it usually subsides either during treatment or when finished.  Its never nice to see them like that... but bear with it if its helping him. 

[swampmaxmum]

Swampy's breath is way better than it was and he's a bit less nervy. Still tricky to get him to eat, other than i/d first thing. But vet said the metrowhatsit is a very good antibiotic for his teeth and a much safer bet than any scaling at his age. It may work with Dragan's inflamed tooth too? It's a minimum of more than 5 days course so Swamp will probably have 6 days. They then take a day or 3 to feel 100% again.
I'll try to remember not to give it to him with his single malt
Can anyone recommend a good pill cutter that doesn't shatter soft tablets as lost one metrowhatsit to a perfectly normal attempt at a clean cut so had to do the others by hand, meaning inexact doses. The one I have is blue and utterly hopeless!

[Maddiesmum]

Dragan has his tooth out ages ago now but still sometimes has a problem.  He tends to jump when he drinks and if he sticks his head out the door and its cold.  Discussed it with the vet last Friday who said his bone was inflamed from the infected tooth and it will take a while to settle down.

[CurlyCatz]

I also dont think its the a/biotics, Fraser was on them years ago with no ill effects I'd say it sounds like he has an exposed nerve or something.

[Michelle (furbabystar)]

Glad he ate a good brekkie   

Are you a rescue remedier? Metronidazole doesnt go well with alcohol so its worth not using RR during and for a short while after a course. Humans get terrible headaches/vomiting if they drink a little whilst taking it 

I had to read that a couple of times -
I had visions of Swampy downing a bottle of vodka 

[Millys Mum]

Glad he ate a good brekkie   

Are you a rescue remedier? Metronidazole doesnt go well with alcohol so its worth not using RR during and for a short while after a course. Humans get terrible headaches/vomiting if they drink a little whilst taking it 

[Michelle (furbabystar)]

I know that is the best antibiotic for tooth infection - Its what i had for a few months last year when i was suffering.

[swampmaxmum]

Thanks everyone. He ate a good breakfast before I shoved his pill down him so don't think it's the tooth particularly, more nausea and nerviness as a side effect. I hope he'll eat later and I'll ring the vet tomorrow. Hopefully the duration can be downed to 5 days instead of 8 as googling suggested the normal treatment is 5-7 days. He seems to prefer to eat i/d than his renal chicken food, which isn't great news but I suppose better than nothing for a week or so if he's feeling a bit sick. As long as he then doesn't refuse the renal!

[Maddiesmum]

He really sounds like Dragan behaved when his tooth was painful.  Nervous of eating in case it hurt.  Good luck

[blackcat]

Is the food in a warm room? If it is in the utility room it may be that the cooler air is causing pangs (It does for me when I get an abscess) ... anyway, do stick with the antibiotics, it can cause all sorts of complications to stop half way through a course - like encouraging the bacteria to mutate into something more resistant ...

[swampmaxmum]

No actually I don't think so because he's had the one pretty bad tooth and bad breath from his mouth or kidneys (or both) for some time, he licks rather than chews food and also he was eating fine until yesterday after the first tablet - it coincided. I will have to see how it goes tomorrow. Don't think this treatment can be done for another 6 days! Irony is the vet was going to give him another antibiotic but because that can cause vomiting and diarrhoea changed to this one. I hope the Pet Dent gel helps as he'll be starting that on Monday. He's been eating really well until yesterday.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I would agree with bc and I remember when Kocka had teeth and gum probs she was starving but acted if the food would attack her, and in a sense it did cos it caused her too mauch pain to eat.

[blackcat]

do you think that he might be getting 'pangs' from his tooth that might make him think something invisible is attacking him? If he is hungry but reluctant to eat it suggests to me that his tooth is playing up

[swampmaxmum]

Swampy's on 1/4 of a 200mg Metronidazole tablet 2x a day for his tooth decay. He's been given 8 tiny meals today and has eaten a lot less than normal/for ages (normal = 6 decent if 'small' meals, the largest of which is 1/4 can i/d in the morning and after that a pouch and a bit of RC Renal blended in 5 other meals). At first I thought it was his cold making him feel a bit sick so not hungry, but tonight he was clearly very hungry but we tried 4 different locations to get a teaspoon of blended food down him (usually licks it up) but he kept jumping down and moving off and becoming phobic about the food plate, eventually ending up on his 'sleeping' chair with his plate balanced on top of Max where he ate another mouthful. He keeps looking around when he is eating, eats a mouthful at a time and then stops and he keeps moving location.  Really nervy. I think it must be the antibiotic although what's weird is that he had the same antibiotic (plus Synulox, plus steroids) for a whole month just after being discharged from hospital with cholangiohepatitis and I don't remember it causing this behaviour. He tends to overgroom a bit these days, pulling hair out from his legs and I've noticed that's been worse today too. I don't think his tum feels fine either.
He's supposed to take them for 8 days and has only had 2 days so far.  I suppose it's dangerous to stop? I rang the vet today but he was too busy and didn't call back so I can't reach him until Monday.