# side effects of doxycycline



## remoosh (Sep 4, 2012)

Hi Everyone, 
I'm a newcomer to posting on this thread, but have been using this site for suggestions since Remy joined our family 5 months ago. I brought Remy, who is 8 months old and 9 lbs, to the vet 5 days ago when she coughed for several minutes then began wretching until she vomited. The vet diagnosed her with a form of kennel cough and prescribed 25mg of Doxycycline 2 times per day. I gave her each dose with her usual kibble, mixed in with some rice and chicken. By the 3rd day, Remy had lost much of her typical energy and was experiencing diarrhea each time we took her outside (which was much more frequently than usual). She also vomited 3 or 4 times over the last few days. The vet advised discontinuing the Doxycycline and said that hopefully the kennel cough would work its way out of her system. It has been 12 hours since her the last pill and she is still lethargic and having diarrhea. Has anyone else experienced such severe side effects from doxycycline? I am worried about Remy. Thanks


----------



## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

Antibiotics can often kill all the beneficial bacteria in the digestive system along with the bad ones you were fighting to start with. Get some probiotics in her to get some of the beneficial bateria back in her gut. Pam always keeps some on hand from NaturesFarmacy, but since it would take some days to get any, see if you can get some plain Greek yogurt in her. If you have a health food store nearby, they will have some. She'll be fine, but the lethargy is most likely from lack of nutrition getting into her system.

http://www.naturesfarmacy.com/store/results.php?category=48


----------



## whimsy (Apr 3, 2010)

If Remy were my dog, I would be on my way to my local emergency vet/ hospital right now.
(but that's just me... just the way I am ..)


----------



## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

Scuds was on Doxy for lyme. He did not experience that, but every dog is different. I know that doxy can tear your stomach up. I had to take it for lyme too. I used to get the worst stomach aches if I didn't eat enough food. 

Can the vet give you another med for the kennel cough? My 3 just had kennel cough a few months ago and I'm pretty sure they were on a different med. I hope the fur kid gets better soon!


----------



## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

Kennel cough itself may be less of a problem than these side effects. One of our dogs brought it home from a show years ago, and it went through the whole pack. I don't think any dog had a big problem with it, and none coughed more than a couple of days with none of it being severe. There are many varieties of it though, just like colds for us.


----------



## remoosh (Sep 4, 2012)

thank you for your insight and reassurance. will let you know tomorrow how Remy is doing. we have our fingers crossed that her pep and energy is back!


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Tom King said:


> Kennel cough itself may be less of a problem than these side effects. One of our dogs brought it home from a show years ago, and it went through the whole pack. I don't think any dog had a big problem with it, and none coughed more than a couple of days with none of it being severe. There are many varieties of it though, just like colds for us.


I thought kennel cough was a virus, anyway, isn't it? If so, antibiotics wouldn't do anything unless there is also a secondary infection.


----------



## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

I believe that's right.


----------



## Becky Chittenden (Feb 4, 2009)

don't know why the vet gave doxy for kennel cough, my Sheltie puppy got it at the National last spring, the handler gave him a couple doses of cough medicine; in 2 days he was over it. I'm a big fan of plain greek yogurt, the antibiotic probably killed good stuff in the stomach and it needs replinishing. If after a couple days given it with food 2 or 3 times a day (make meals smaller and more frequent) he isn't better, go back to the vet.


----------



## remoosh (Sep 4, 2012)

Remy is doing much better now that she has been off the doxy for 36 hours. We are so relieved that she is on the mend. We have been giving her a probiotic at night, so hopefully it will help her recovery. It's pretty alarming to hear that it may have been unnecessary for the vet to prescribe the antibiotic. I plan to call tomorrow for an explanation. Thank you everyone


----------



## sprorchid (Mar 30, 2010)

Tom is right, you need some probiotics or greek yogurt, all available at a local health food store (for humans). 
Nausea and vomiting, the runs as well are all side effects from antibotics. 
you can try a bland diet for your dog (lowfat cottage cheese (or chicken) and steamed rice), till she gets back her normal appetite.

there are a couple of antibotics that my big dogs don't handle well. try vomiting and the runs with 125 lb dog!

kennel cough is a bacteria and there is a vaccine, but like most bacterial infections, usually they are secondary to a viral infection like the flu+ strep throat.

it's true that she may kick it on her own, but it can take months. it's easy enough to monitor her kennel cough and see if she coughs more or loses weight.

hang in there!

http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/kennel-cough-in-dogs

What is Kennel Cough?

Just as human colds may be caused by many different viruses, kennel cough itself can have multiple causes. One of the most common culprits is a bacterium called Bordetella bronchiseptica m-- which is why kennel cough is often called Bordetella. Most dogs that become infected with Bordetella are infected with a virus at the same time. These viruses, which are known to make dogs more susceptible to contracting Bordetella infection, include canine adenovirus, canine distemper virus, canine herpes virus, parainfluenza virus and canine reovirus.

Dogs "catch" kennel cough when they inhale bacteria or virus particles into their respiratory tract. This tract is normally lined with a coating of mucus that traps infectious particles, but there are a number of factors that can weaken this protection and make dogs prone to kennel cough infection, which results in inflammation of the larynx (voice box) and trachea (windpipe).


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

sprorchid said:


> kennel cough is a bacteria and there is a vaccine, but like most bacterial infections, usually they are secondary to a viral infection like the flu+ strep throat.


From some poking around on the internet this evening, it sounds like the name "kennel cough" is SO unspecific that it can be either viral or bacterial in origin. So, assuming that the vet didn't culture it, they may have been just covering the possibility of it being bacterial.

As far as Strep is concerned, I'm not saying it can't happen, but I've never seen it as secondary to a viral infection in one of my kids. If it was Strep (and they both had it a number of times) we knew right away... very different symptoms from either a cold or the flu. Now bronchitis and pneumonia, both of which are often bacterial, were always secondary to a viral infection of some sort. (but then both were asthmatic, so ripe for lung infections)


----------

