You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

The routine use of antibiotics in the management of diarrhoea is not encouraged because of the risk of  bacterial resistance developing.

According to Strombeck and Guilford (Small  Animal Gastroenterology 2nd edition, 1991- Wolfe)  there are 5 situations in which the use of antibiotics is justified :

• Bacterial overgrowth
• Sepsis
• Acute haemorrhagic enteritis
• When a specific pathogen has been cultured and a sensitivity test performed
• When the animal has a severe neutropenia (<1000 neutrophils/ml)

The choice of antibiotic depends upon the sensitivity results, but historically Penicillin G was the drug of choice because it is effective as a bactericidal agent against gastrointestinal pathogens, and it has minimal effects on normal gut flora. However the British Small Animal Veterinary Association recommends amoxicillin/clavulanate OR 1st generation cephalosporin.for acute diarrheoa with complications, and metronidazole may be added if there is gastrointestinal haemorrhage or bacterial translocation has occurred. Enrofloxacin OR erythromycin are recommended  if the cause is confirmed as campylobacter. 

Updated January 2016