Pain after Metronidazole in dogs

The FDA has received 70 reports of pain in dogs after Metronidazole. That is 2.3% of all reports for this medicine, compared with 0.7% across reports for all dog medicines, so it is reported unusually often with this medicine.

70Reports

81%Marked serious

5.7%Recovered

37%Died or euthanised

8 daysTypical onset

How soon it started

Same day

18 29%

1–2 days

10 16%

3–7 days

1 1.6%

1–4 weeks

15 24%

Over a month

19 30%

How the animals did

Recovered

4 5.7%

Still unwell when reported

30 43%

Died

11 16%

Euthanised

15 21%

Not known

10 14%

Problems reported at the same time

36 51%

33 47%

29 41%

27 39%

25 36%

22 31%

17 24%

15 21%

Age of the animals

Under 1 year

1–3 years

4–7 years

8–11 years

12+ years

About this medicine

Metronidazole treats some bacterial and parasitic gut infections.

Questions owners ask

Can Metronidazole cause pain in dogs?: 70 reports link the two, but a report alone does not prove the medicine was the cause: other illnesses, other medicines or coincidence can be involved. Your vet can judge it for your animal.
How soon after a dose was it reported?: In half of the reports with dates, it started within 8 days of the first dose.
What should I do?: Don't give another dose until you've spoken to your vet, and keep the packaging so you can tell them the product and dose. Your vet can also report it to the FDA (or you can, through the manufacturer or FDA form 1932a).

Pain with similar medicines

Pain after Amoxicillin + Clavulanate (Clavamox) 130 reports · 2.4% of its reports
Pain after Doxycycline 130 reports · 3.2% of its reports
Pain after Cefovecin (Convenia) 108 reports · 2.9% of its reports
Pain after Enrofloxacin (Baytril) 99 reports · 2.6% of its reports
Pain after Amoxicillin 32 reports · 2.4% of its reports

All reported side effects of Metronidazole in dogs · Medicines most reported with pain