Please be very careful about giving your dog the antibiotic Keflex (cephalexin). The vet prescribed it for our dog to treat an infected hotspot. One week later he’s lame in the hindquarters, weak and in pain.
This is, apparently, a common reaction to Keflex and a known side-effect of the medication in dogs.
Keflex, though widely-prescribed for dogs, is an Off label medication. It hasn’t been FDA approved for use in dogs, and therefore has never been fully-tested for use in dogs. The vet who prescribed this drug for our Bernese Mt. Dog had never heard of the lameness as a side-effect, in part because the side effect is rare, but also because the medication is canine-tested only in the field. The information on Psuedo HOD Polyneuropathy (the official name for this condition) is coming from breeders and other pure-bred owners who have seen this reaction in their pure breeds.
I just wanted everyone else out there to be aware.
—
Update: For those who find this page while searching for terms like such as weak hindquarters, lame hindlegs, paralysis and all the other terms I used when doing research I decided to add a progress diary.
Day 1: Wednesday
Dog was anorectic and non responsive, with a lot of roaching (pronounced curvature of the spine). Discontinued antibiotic, continued previously prescribed Prednisone 20mg 1/day.
Day 2: Thursday
Dog weaker, still anorectic. Responsive to normal trigger words and phrases (“go for ride”; “guys”; “would you like a treat?”). Roaching still pronounced, with abdomen slighly distended. A visit to the veternarian ruled out bloat. The vet examined the dog manually and diagnosed possible Spondolyitis–arthritis and bony growth of the lower spine. I told the vet the roaching had been seen previously in the dog when he was dealing with gastric issues and that I suspected Keflex side-effects of gastric upset. The vet advised 24 hours NPO followed with a continued course of cortisone. While at the vet’s office the dog eagerly ate hand-fed treats, leading me to suspect either the positioning or type of food he had at home was unappetising.
Day 3: Friday
Dog making whimpering noises while he breathes, drooling excessively. Having a hard time without food and water. At 22 hours NPO decided to give the dog coritsone, food and drink. Dog eagerly took 1 dose of cortisone camoflaged in cream cheese, followed by limited water. Three hours after dosing the dog eagerly ate scrambled eggs. Still very lame in hindquarters and demanding constant attention.
Day 4: Saturday
Internet research confirms that pseudo HOD is a known reaction to Keflex, seen mostly in large breeds with more esoteric breedlines. (In short, this happens mostly to pedigreed dogs with tightly controlled breedlines like Bernese Mt. Dogs and Great Danes. It doesn’t happen all that often at all in mixed-breeds.) Internet advice confirms the best treatment is corticosterioids and bed rest. I can find no set length of recovery times, ranging from 3 days to 16 weeks. Titrated up the cortisone to 2x daily. Higher dose seems to have better effect. The dog’s aspect is clear and bright, but hind legs are still lame.
The dog doesn’t seem to be in any pain; the issue seems to be more neuropathic–as if his back end were “asleep”. Since he is not in pain, but more discouraged from the lack of limb function, I’ve decided to give him periodic exercise to prevent atrophy and bedsores. I walk him short distances every 3 hours.
Day 5: Sunday
The dog is much improved, moves around better and has fully regained his appetite. He still has some lameness in the hindquarters–I think we’re looking at a longer recovery time than the earliest estimate of “three to five days”.
Day 6: Monday
I had reduced the cortisone dosage on the advice of the vet to one pill every 24 hours. This seems to cause the dog some discomfort. Stepping the cortisone back up to 2 pills every 24 hours and handfeeding the dog to make sure of maximum nutrition. We are still taking brief walks in order to preserve long term limb function. He is drinking a lot of water–a side effect of the cortisone–and therefore he’s peeing a lot. Sadly, he has been having to pee in a modified squat. Monday, Day 6, was the first day he was able to pee while lifting his leg, in the traditional “boy dog” stance.
Day 7: Tuesday
Breakfast of scrambled eggs and oatmeal, followed by lots of water. The dog slept peacefully for 4 hours following his morning dose of cortisone–an improvement. His sleep over the last few days has been marred by much whining and yipping of discomfort. At noon he went outside for his usual evacuation, and was able to pee twice with his leg lifted, and defecated. (Moving his bowels presents more of a challenge given the problems with hind-end posture.) He is eating some kibble again and drinking liberally. His noon walking time had fewer stumbles and more upright time.
Will he improve after the drug gets out of his system??
Yikes. I hope your dog is okay once the meds are out.
Thanks for sharing that. I’ll remember should I have to take my Georgia to the vet.
I hope your doggie is OK.
I don’t know if he will get better or not. I’m hopeful. The treatment is 2-3 days of prednisone, which we’re doing faithfully. Theoretically at that point he should be better. If he’s not, I’ll be a basketcase anyway.
Oh I would be a basketcase too.. I am not a gun person but I think there would be guns involved if my dog did not get better.
Lol had to laugh at the comment about the guns being involved. The prednizone that was given has the side effectt of being dehydrated for dogs. It’s been given to mine in the past and created the same kind of thirstiness in my dog so I guess it’s common. As for the leg if it does not go away then my council would be to get another opinion from another vet who at that point may need to introduce some kind of leg and joint med so that he is not in pain. My baby is about 11 and just a Sr. nothing I can do about that except keep him comfortable and make sure he is not in pain…the pain can be managed. I make sure he get’s out of bed in the morning and walks outside to pee just so that he get’s his legs circulating and then we take a slow walk in the park in the evening so it helps to make sure the dog get’s exercise for the joints and mobility. Prayers and hugs to you. You sound like a good mom. Blessings.
I’m so sorry, Kat. I would be livid, I know. My vet was one of those who always prescribed amoxicillin for everything, dog or cat, and I don’t think we ever had anything else since I’ve had dogs, but I certainly will speak up if that if ever suggested with mine. I can only imagine how you are feeling right now and I hope to goodness he gets better soon.
Reba – nice thing to be talking about guns when everyone is hoping and praying that the dog does get better.
Keflex is not the only antibiotic that you have to worry about with dogs there are a couple of them that are very dangerous if given or over prescribed.
Most vets. are very carefull with what they prescribe also the dosage of medication given.
Hope that he gets better.
[...] Katherine Coble For those interested, I’ve added information on my dog’s progress in the original entry. I’m doing this to keep those informed who otherwise wouldn’t be, but I’m also [...]
So sorry to hear that! I know how you must feel. We place so much trust in vets to make our babies better that it’s heartbreaking to see them suffer anyway. I wish your doggie a full recovery!
I sure hope he’s much better soon. Thanks for the alert on this. I’d never heard of it, and I’ve had a LOT of dogs. Keep up the progress reports.
how sad! what a horrible experience! dogs are such a blessing and and i can’t imagine having to go through that. my puppy maggie and i send our love!!!
OH man! I hope your pup is gonna be ok! Scarey that a med that should help is causing such problems.
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Thank you for posting your experience. I found this page by searching “My dog is drinking excessive water after antibiotic” and then was shocked to see that the antibiotic that your dog was on was the same that was given to my dog.
My dog (german shep) had a rash like spot under her arm that she wouldnt stop licking (for about 2-3 days). It was very red and sore. I decided to take her to the vet for whatever to get her healthy faster.
Vet said it was allergies, and recommended a shot of antibiotic, a cream and gave me a bottle of Cephalexin. I religiously gave to my dog twice a day and noticed she was drinking a ton of water from the first day. I didnt do anything until the 4th or 5th day where we had to refill all three bowls in the house like twice a day. She will just drink until the entire bowl is gone (like at least 16 ounces!). then she’d pee a lot of course. Then she vomit a few times.
Something gave me the impression i should quit the antibiotic…. and I did. She stopped vomitting. Her sore has been cleared up for days now (like one day after i left the vet it was better), and her drinking is still a lot.
I would take her to the vet but frankly dont trust them anymore. Everytime i go it seems they throw all the meds at me in a big guess. I prefer my dog be healthy naturally.
Does anyone have suggestions what the excessive water might be. Could a dog develop diabetes from 3 days of antibiotics? Should i wait til it just gets out of her system? If so, how long til it does?
She has no other symptoms. Shes pretty regular in every other way (her eating is fine and shes still her self, except just drinks lots of water)>
thanks!
Hi Liberty,
Wow I know how you feel about vets…I don’t want to throw them all in the same heap together but I’ve been through some doozies with them recently but getting back to your baby…antibiotics cause dogs to drink lots of water at least that is my experience. I’ve had cocker spaniels with ear infections and it’s common with this breed and every time an antibiotic is prescribed it’s to be expected…I woudn’t be too alarmed because in actuality the very best things for a dog is water. I think they get dehydrated like we do sometimes and it sounds like the stuff is still in his system and in time he will be back to normal. If’ he’s pooping and his appetite is good don’t be too worried just be watchful and I just bet his drinking will go back to normal…could be other factors ie: is it hot in your climate, is his exercise more lately?
Blessings.
I know these posts are old, but I thought I’d reply in case anyone still reads them (if I found this, others will). I am certain that your dog was drinking excessively because the “antibiotic shot” the vet gave your dog was probably a long-lasting corticosteroid shot like vetalog/triamcinolone. Any steroid has common side effects of increased drinking, increased urination, increased appetite, and panting. Cephalexin commonly causes vomiting, especially when given on an empty stomach. Some dogs can be sensitive to it and can’t take it because of the upset stomach.
Get the homeopathic remedy Nux Vomica 30c in a medicinal solution. Tap the bottle ten times, place one teaspoon in 7 tablespoons of water, stir briskly about five times and give to your dog.
If no improvement next day, repeat above.
The moment there’s the slightest improvement, don’t give any more.
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I just lost my Weimaraner named Parker just a couple of hours after giving her the first dose of Cephalexin. She was just seen by the vet yesterday and was giving it for a skin rash. She was suppose to get 500mg every 8 hours but she never made it to second dose.
I’m glad I stumbled across this, but wish I had a few days sooner. We took in a 10 yr old lab mix who had a slight cough with some spit up. Since he was older and the cough was getting worse and he’d been kenneled then lived in a car before we got him, we were worried and took him to the vet. The vet prescribed Cephalexin “just in case” it was kennel cough, so it did not spread to our other two much younger dogs. We had a 7 day supply and by the 4th day we noticed the dog was losing appetite. We read on other websites that antibiotics can make a dog nauseous and lose appetite, so hoping it would pass in a day or so, we gave him his 5th and 6th day meds. Only when we noticed the almost depressed aura and his weak stature did we stop the antibiotics. Hoping his appetite would improve once we stopped the doses, we continued giving him food without success and then a couple of days after his last dose, he finally ate canned food. He ate 1/2 can the first night (2.5 days after last dose), then 1/2 can the next morning, then 3/4 can the second night (3.5 days after the last dose), and hasn’t eaten any since then (5 days since last dose, now 1.5 days again without eating). He seems to be getting slowly less healthy, very weak, having a hard time standing, urinates without lifting leg, started drooling the last night he ate, often sits with his hind legs collapsed under him and holding himself up with front legs, unfocused vision, restless to the point of lying down for only a minute or so before standing up in a single place staring off into nothingness for a few minutes, barely manages to walk on a leash whereas before he was pulling in excitement at beginning of walks.
If I had read this before it got to this point I could have started steroid treatment (we have some for our other dogs who have very bad allergies) to see if his health would improve. At this point I’m worried about the lack of eating and drinking water. We have a vet appointment today and I’m worried as this is the same vet who prescribed this drug. I would love for them to confirm it could be a side effect of the antibiotic and send him home with steroids to see if that will help. Even though we’ve only had him for a month or so, we love him and he is part of our family. It would devastate us to know our trust in the vet and lack of our own knowledge caused his suffering but as long as there is hope that he can come out of this condition we’ll keep trying.
Thank you for sharing your experience. I hope it has helped others!
As far as I’m Now concerned, NO DOG SHOULD BE GIVEN THIS DRUG (CEPHALEXIN) !! I have a 10-yr. old male Samoyed who, other than allergies, has always been a happy, healthy dog. Last yr., he was down & blue, his girlfriend had died a couple months earlier. Took him to the vet who diagnosed a virus. Gave me a two week protocol of this drug. Within hours, his mood soured, he cried out in pain, stopped eating, but I thought this would pass as his system got used to the drug.
A month after this, he still hadn’t recovered. Took him to the vet who ran a senior profile on him (9 at the time) and told me he had kidney & liver damage, probably from something foul in the yard he ate. I blamed generic dog food since it was only a yr. since the melamine scandal. He said he had 2-4 weeks maybe.
I started doing online research and started a protocol of low-grade proteins, egg whites, rice and yams, all organic. Gave him salmon oil, Vit E, 30 mg of CQ10 and a blood pressure pill aimed towards his intestines. He rallied really well. (Screw Prescriptives diet, that was killing him too)
Took him back to the smart-ass vet who said he wouldn’t take responsibility is my dog died from my treatment. Now the prognosis, after 2 mo. of this treatment was pushed to 2 yrs.
Recently he developed a sore on his pads and red yeast stain on paws and eyes. Yogurt and ACV didn’t help after 3 weeks so back to the vet. She looked at his records, said he’d not been on Cephalexin before, I said I was sure he had. So she gave me the script. Within 4 hrs. his appetite fell off completely, he was in pain again, his mood soured and he simply wouldn’t even get up. After 3 days, I took him off it again. Went back to the vet today and while the docs weren’t there, I pushed the recept to look farther back in the records. There it was, last Dec. when he almost died. In 5 days, he’d lost 6 pounds and almost died again.
Then I looked up and found that this drug is used on dogs off-label.
AGAIN, NO ONE SHOULD GIVE THEIR DOG THIS DRUG. I’M CONVINCED THAT IT’S WHAT CAUSED HIS INTERNAL DAMAGE AND I’M GOING TO BATSH*T ON MY VET TOMORROW!! BE WARNED!!!!
Kimberlee, I was wondering if there was any further news on your Sammy.
Update on Bobo The Magnificent (also known as a Samoyed, LOL):
Well, it’s 10 months past the latest date given by the vet previous to my Muscatine vet that he was supposed to die. We moved about 6 hours east from there back in July and, at that point, his energy and appetite were becoming poor. I had his new 58 lb. frame (most of his life he was slightly overweight at 64) checked in Aug. by a new vet (actually, a much older vet than I would’ve liked) who said he was failing badly and quickly, had advanced anemia and, quite probably, testicular cancer. He said he wouldn’t even try to operate since with that anemia, he’d probably never come out of the anesthesia. AGAIN it was insisted upon that I rely on K-D diet and that he wouldn’t take responsibility if my dog failed without it.
AND AGAIN (LOL) I REFUSED to pay any attention.
I took him home. The one think he did suggest that I saw no problem with was 10mg famotidine daily to help his tummy. It was also mentioned that this could somehow help with the anemia, though I don’t recall what he said about that.
Funny thing is – - about 2 days after going to the vet, he perked right up again. Started eating his dry Candidae again though he wouldn’t touch their canned food anymore. Wonder why,
But he would eat anything that looked like stew. Don’t know why, maybe because we started eating with him instead of in different rooms and he just liked the way our food looked better. But he won’t eat anything that looks like pate anymore.
Then, about a month ago, we had to go out of town, take him with us, and had to leave him for the night for two nights in our old garage. Don’t know what happened, but he lost his energy and appetite again. Tried to go back to that vet, but he was out that day so I went to his back-up person who told me after looking at his creatinine levels that he had 10 days to 2 weeks. She said a very kidney diseased dog shows at something like 5-7.5, her reading machine went to 13.5, and that Bobo’s number was beyond what she could read. She said he’d lose more energy and appetite and finally go into a coma.
Yeah – right. Bobo didn’t get the memo I guess. I took him home and fed him raw, grass-fed ground beef and his new favorite, watermelon. After 5 days of that, he got his full appetite back and more energy than I’d seen in a year!
So who knows anymore? Every day we still have him is a gift and we don’t take him forgranted. He is never left alone for more than 4 hrs. anymore, and sometimes that’s a hassle, but definitely worth it.
He plays, initiates play, takes us for a drag (damn, he’s still so strong), still sings to us, and eats us out of house & home.
Definitely worth it. And thank you so much for asking.
Wow, found this page by accident. My vet just prescribed Keflex 500mg twice a day. I am an RN and this is a dose that I myself have been on. My 2.5 year old mixed breed girl Mia is thought to have some infected flea bites. She got her 3rd dose this evening and funny I said to my husband tonite that Mia isnt acting like herself. Now I am wondering if the antibiotic is causing this change. Well I am not taking any chances. I am stopping the tx and I will watch her skin for signs of any progression. I will find something natural for her. Glad I found you guys. Thanks.
Maureen,
I wish you good luck with Mia. I’m hopeful that all goes well.
When I first started looking into this issue it seemed that the largest population for contraindication was Large Purebreeds. So I’m fervently hoping that with your dog being younger, mixed breed and having her dosage stopped early that she’ll rebound quickly.
I’ve been able to treat skin infections with shaving and thrice-daily peroxide washouts. I’ve also had good luck with some other antibiotics. I’m not anti-treatment. But it’s safe to say I’m very anti-Keflex.
Good luck, and let us know how Mia is fairing.
Not to further alarm anyone, but I did feel like I should add that after 14 days of watching him deteriorate, we did have to send our beloved Berner on to wait for us.
This information is very important to all pet owners!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have a 11 year old Cocker Spaniel inwhich I took to my vet in August 2011 for a limp in the right rear leg and weight loss from 34lbs to 25 lbs the vet gave me Cephailexin 250 mg to give him 2 times a day every 8 to 12 hours apart and told me to bring him in for blood work and stool sample after 1 week. I did this for 1 month and followed his directions carefully, the next month (september 2011) my dog was loosing his hair along with scabs that was forming on his skin, in October and November I tried giving him food that did not have soybean, wheat, corn or byproducts in it expensive but it seemed to be working, I went back to my vet at the end of December, he recommended an abdominal scan which turned out ok and a skin scraping which he sent to the lab for analyzation in which Iam still waiting for results back as to the findings. he also recommend and I paid for, CEPHAILEXIN (back to antibiotics) since I read these articles I have completely stopped the antibiotics, I personally contribute my dogs back end problems to the antibiotics that I gave him.
These drugs need to be outlawed and away from animals I am very concerned that any vet would prescribe to pet owners to give this drug to there pets knowingly that it could be this dangerous to the pet this is a crime and needs to be addressed by the proper authorities!
I have to admit – I like my vet; I really do. After my knee-jerk reaction, I did a TON of research from everything from anecdotals to reading case studies done in Europe.
Apparently, MOST drugs given to dogs are OFF-label, NOT approved by the FDA for dogs, drugs. Keflex is one of these.
Yes, I did find research that talked about how 3-5% of dogs are FATALLY allergic to this drug. One of the symptoms, and my dog started to suffer from it also, is pain in the rear quarters. This is accompanied by loss of appetite, increased thirst, general pain, renal disruption and kidney damage.
My vet SWEARS she was unaware of this and after knowing how drug reps work, I believe her. She’d never intentionally hurt my Bobo. I know he’s one of her favorite patients.
I faxed her all the info sheets I came up with and she actually forwarded them to the professor of veterinary studies at Iowa State, so I know my research was good.
He’s doing better now and we have this allergy on his file. If I’d known that only certain dogs could be allergic to just certain medicines like this, I would have been watching out better for symptoms when they persisted and taken him off the drug sooner.
Took almost 5 days till he was eating again, 8 days before his rear wasn’t painful to the touch, and almost two weeeks before he was completely his old self.
He’s weaker for the experience and now won’t eat his normal food since he associates it with being sick.
As for feeding your dog more expensive foods like Blue Buffalo or Candidae, yes it is necessary for your dog to recover to keep giving him 1st-class nutrition. I too, took pride in how little money I could spend to feed my dog, but with the damage from the drug, it’s not worth it if I want him happy and healthy again.
Thanks for reading and for your concerns. It helps to have support.
I give you a world of credit for so thoroughly researching this drug! Do you happen to have any links, or sources, that you can recommend to me? Knowledge is power! Also, I wonder if adverse reactions to such drugs (for dogs) can be reported to the FDA or at least to another agency?
My two-year-old border collie was recently given 500 mg x 2 Cephlexin for skin allergies and a urinary tract infection. Although the drug almost instantly cleared up his sores, within 5 days he was vomitting. My vet said to take him off Cephlexin and wait a few day to give him another (similar) antibiotic. He was also supposed to take predisone, but I held off on that, being cautious (and am too afraid to give it too him).
However, he has continued to vomit daily even after I discontinued the Cephalexin. (He’s only on Bendryl for itchiness) He’s been off Cephalexin about 5 days and now the vomit has turned to bile, which makes me wonder if there is possible liver damage.
I had read about the bad effects of this drug, but decided it only happened in a minority of cases, so I gave it to him anyway (to my regret). But, luckily, I started off giving him only half a dose (a good practice to use before any new drug is used). He’d probablybe a lot worse right now had I given him the full dose.
Presently he eats very little, drinks lots of water, and I am worried. I hear that the effects of this drug can last a very long time, with new symptoms showing up several weeks later. Perhaps through everyone’s input and help, I hope that all dogs on this site who are sick will find a way to become quickly better.
Hi Paula,
Getting in touch with the FDA wouldn’t yield you any results anyway. Apparently, it’s common to try human medicines on animals and they’re often prescribed off-shelf like this. The FDA doesn’t really carry any credibility these days anyway, LOL!
Sorry your Border was a victim. Guess he’s part of the 5-7% like mine. I have heard when the drug works and the animal doesn’t have a reaction, that it’s gang-busters. I’m supposing the fact that we’re talking about animals is why it doesn’t seem to be a big deal about us and ours having fatal/near fatal reactions. Wish they’d get with the program. Anyways -
I got a lot of info from a site called b-naturals and looked at their diet for kidney problems and made my own dog food based on what I was able to figure out from studying the info there..
At this point, avoid foods high in sulfur (egg yolks), oatmeal for some reason exasperates the condition as does high-quality proteins like fish or lean beef.
I boil an organic chicken JUST till I can get the bones out or just barely warm some organically raised, fatty ground beef then mix that with equal parts of white rice and sweet or regular potatoes, both overcooked to mush. Then I add some ground eggshell, an 1/8th tsp. per lb., and you can get “Just Whites” in the refrig. section of the market. That I do cook with the beef just till it coagulates. For flavor, a tsp of organic sugar of some sort, honey or agave, whatever and a 1/4 tsp. of salt per lb. I make it into balls whatever size you want and then freeze. My boy actually prefers them frozen but you can defrost and feed any way you want. Also you’ll see about CoQ10 (my 60 lb takes 40mg I figured) and how salmon oil and Vit E will help retard kidney deterioration.
I’ve learned that careful nutrition CAN bring your dog back. Do go back to your vet and have the values run on a blood test to monitor how much damage your dog may have and when your vet suggests that Prescription Diet nonsense, turn him/her down. It just made my dog sicker. They still use the suggested diet from back in the 60′s/70′s, when the protocol was different. The studies I used were all from 1989 and newer.
I also found a lot of knowledge from the links pertaining to pet nutritional problems from exploring a catalogue called Only Natural Pet Store. They have a flea chip in there that I swear absolutely worked on my part-time outdoor dog. But explore the site for links to other vet’s works.
I’m not a doctor or learned person by any measure and wouldn’t say that my work is in any way professional. I was just desperate to save my boy.
Hope anything I’ve added here is helpful to some degree.
Typical over-reaction from an unfortunate owner whose dog happened to be in the minority to have an uncommon severe reaction to cephalexin.
Common side-effects, affecting about one in five dogs, is vomiting and possible diarrhoea; the nausea causes excessive drinking. The hindlimb lameness is less than a one in a thousand chance, and if it does happen, certainly never give it to your dog or cat again… but you’ll find that the same animal will also likely be sensitive to penicillin-based medications as well, limiting the antimicrobial choice.
However, cephalexin is safe for the overwhelming majority of dogs and cats out there, if dosed appropriately and if dispensed by the veterinarian for the right condition. If everyone panics every time a few animals have a reaction to a medication, then no medication will ever be good enough for any pet. Be vigilant, and certainly question your vet if your dog does have an adverse reaction, but don’t then rule it out for everyone else.
Elsol
You are the typical jackass that has nothing better to do but spit your hate on everyone that’s trying to give good updated info for our pets. I have a Pit that is having the same issues and until I found this site I had no idea what was going on so Blow you grumpy liberal ass out of here and leave us loving pet owners alone. Hell you are probably one of those who hate animals or have your dog chained up in the back yard with no food or water. I’m tired of being Mr nice guy screw you!
John – I can understand your response except for one thing – Why do you seem to insist that this person is a “liberal”?
I’m a liberal but do not consider myself “grumpy”. (Although occasionally, I have been considered and consider my occasional behavior as, an “ass”.)
“If everyone panics every time a few animals have a reaction to a medication, then no medication will ever be good enough for any pet.”
This what You said Elsol and I’m sorry but when Death is the reaction, then NO, perhaps it Shouldn’t be given.
I started out by DOING RESEARCH into scientific studies as well as the anecdotal. I perused over 50 sites and read them in depth. My vet doesn’t even do that!
I don’t consider 3-5% rare so much as perhaps, uncommon, but it’s still a concern. As for the lameness, my research found an Italian study where the incidence was .02%. That’s 1 dog in 200 which is also not that rare.
“Typical over-reaction from an unfortunate owner whose dog happened to be in the minority to have an uncommon severe reaction to cephalexin.”
I found this line to be patronizing and insulting.
I LOVE my dog. So do many here. Did you not see that others have LOST their beloved pets? The tone of your response seems to belittle others who are grieving.
I have heard of people whose dogs did get better on this med, but owners should be WARNED of the dangers and what to look for. Otherwise, they will simply assume that those side affects are normal to the drug. The fact is that vets should not issue this medication without warnings.
Kimberlee, I for one am thanking you for this thread,I brought my 5 yr. old beagle to the vet for a hotspot he had behind his ear which appeared within a few hours. she shaved the area ,cleaned it then handed me a priscription for keflex.. soon after giving him the first dose he became worse (no appetite, distended stomach,major pain all over. ) as I write this I am waiting for my son to come home to help me get him in the truck to get him back to the vet,, my daughter is in there with her beloved dog crying her eyes out because she thinks he is dying. !!!! We just lost our 8 yr. old shepherd a yr. ago… I am getting quite angry at the vet right now myself… If this can be so fatal they should give you a verbal warning also. I even called them yesterday and they told me to wait until tomorrow and if he didn’t feel better to bring him in today ….I will repost and let you know how things went today…
Hi Cheryl,
Just so folks know, while I’m fairly invested in this particular thread, it is our host’s site, LOL!
As I said, this drug is supposed to be fairly safe for the majority of dogs, but the ones who do turn out to be allergic to it, do seem to be almost, if not Fatally allergic to it.
I wonder if there are any tests that could be conducted by vets to see how a dog would react to it? That would save a lot of grief. Unfortunately, it would seem that no one is going to find this thread unless they’ve encountered damage to their pet that’s already occurred.
I started off angry at my vet too, but after I calmed and realized that she was only acting on what she has been taught, we discussed it, made a note on my dog’s chart to never prescribe it again, and she learned a lesson to always warn dogs’ companions to watch for certain symptoms and quit the treatment immedialtely under her new guidelines, based on my dog’s experience.
I think this may be the best we can hope for unless so many dogs suffer from this drug that it needs to be tested again by whatever Veternary Assoc. controls that sort of thing.
Best wishes and prayers out to you.
My purebred bulldog had a course of cephalexin–had mild initial reaction–vomited twice–so i gave her half her meal, waited a while, then the rest of the meal with the pill. no more vomiting. She was more thirsty as well. During the 10 day course for an infection under her nose rope, she became weak and at the same time restless, up at night wandering around. I checked online for side effects and these were side effects. I was close to the end of the course so I finished it but she became EXTREMELY weak in the hind quarters as well as lethargic and panting. She seems to be in pain. While these symptoms seemed to lessen after 4 days off the pills, they are back now, a week later. I notified my vet and she said she had never heard of any reaction like this to cephalexin. I had them note on my dogs chart she was NEVER to take this again. Yesterday amy dog seemed to be in more pain so I am giving her a dosage of aspirin (per her weight) twice a day (as recommended by an online vet site. I am hoping time will heal.
Cephalexin killed my dog. She had a paw infection. The vet gave her an injection of Cephalexin and Cephalexin capusles (500 MG) at 2 daily. Within 48 hours she started showing weakness and then paralysis in her hind legs. I stopped the meds and took her back to the vet. Told him she was having a severe reaction to the drug and needed an antidote. They started working with her, but in the next 24 hours she was totally paralized in the hind legs. She died in her sleep 5 days after this drug was administered. She was 9 years old, large breed, half Weimeraner and Siberian Husky. All I wanted to do was clear up her infected paw, and instead I am burying her. I will never get over her death. I am convinced this drug caused it.
Perhaps we should all make copies of these pages and send them to whatever agency decides these things. At the very least, I’m going to make a copy and bring it to my vet. I know since my problems with this drug and my Bobo, she has been much more vigilant about warning patients to watch their animals when she prescribes this drug and report ANY side affects so that she can keep track and hopefully, mitigate the effects before it can do any more damage.
But I really wish they’d make a public announcement.
Thank you, everyone. There is a lot of very good advice here. My border collie recovered from taking cephlexin (thankfully, I’d only given him half the prescribed dose and the vet told me to immediately stop the drug once he began vomitting). I learned a lot from my previous beloved dog, who passed away from liver disease and nearly suffered respiratory stress after a steroid shot. I heard Injections are typically more dangerous than oral medication, and I always try for the lowest dose (learned the hard way). However, my present dog’s itchiness has returned in full fury and now he has been prescribed prednisone (which I don’t think I’ll give him; too many side-effects) and the antibiotic, “Baytril.” I guess I need to give him the antibiotic becasue he has sores all over his body from scratching (at least the cephlexin cleared up his skin, though it caused a much worse problem). Does anyone know anything about the antibiotic Baytril? Of course, we are all now afraid to give our dogs new medicines.
I’ll tell ya, Paula; you would probably be best off by just doing what I did – Google the thing, LOL! I put in the generic name, Cephalexin, and then canine to specify my search. I checked anecdotals in chat-rooms and blogs, such as this, and I checked veterinary studies and trials and read the results.
Yes, it can be difficult. I don’t have more than a year of college, but I know enough Latin roots and can compare numbers enough to figure it out to some degree. I’d put in Baytril, find out the pharmaceutical name, and then do a search of that drug combined with canine. After visiting their webpage (they probably have one) to find out what the thing is supposed to treat and how, then I’d ignore any sites that sell the stuff. They’re going to just give you propaganda anyhow and you want to see the case studies. Also, look at any European studies (you might be able to use an online tool to translate it, but you can still look at the numbers). I found no American studies to support my position that Keflex caused lameness, but did find an Italian study that my vet actually put me in touch with her old college professor about!
That was also how I gained the info to treat my dog in the aftermath of the drug’s damage.
BTW, he’s been slowing down A LOT lately and he’s only 11 1/2. (Sigh) Well, the vet did reassess the diagnosis to two years. Maybe I was optimistic. Maybe I’ll get $300 worth of blood work done and find out he’s just got the flu. I’ll keep y’all up to date with it. Meanwhile, we’re moving out of what I believe is a radon-filled house in stinky Muscatine and going on to the Central IN/MI border. Wish me luck with this crazy move.
First of all, please send my best wishes to your beloved canine kid (even at eleven-years-old, they’re still our kids!), and I hope he soon is feeling better. SAMe (a natural substance found at most major stores or at health food shops) did wonders for two of my elderly dogs (now deceased; both lived to be 13 and 14 respectively). It is a natural substance that the liver often produces minimally in older canines (or humans). It really gave my older dogs added “zip,” and I do mean it really energized them! The liver is also the organ responsible for cleansing the body of toxins and SAMe has been proven by tests (in Europe!) to help the liver, help osteoarthritis, and improve mood. After only a few days on SAMe, both my dogs – almost lame – were hopping on my bed again! I gave it to them for the rest of their days (although only about 3 pills a week after the initial dosage as it is a bit pricey – but still a lot cheaper than the vet, lol)!
Thank you so, so, so much for taking the time to respond to my problem and for your absolutely great and appreciated advice. I had, in fact, forgotten all about checking European sources. You sound a lot like me! I will follow your advice!!!! I like doing research instead of blindly listening to a doctor or vet. Thanks for the helpful tips on which websites to follow (or ignore), as it can get confusing.
By the way, you sound like a scholar, and I think you should be awarded a degree! Thanks again!
Aw, g’won. But thank you; you’re good for my ego, LOL!
I’ll try the SAMe. Right now, I just started him on Glucosamine/Chondroitin. I know it did Amazing things for my 19-yr. old tabby I had a decade ago.
His back had formed a permanent arch, not unlike my Uncle Babe’s really bad bursitis. Started giving him a kitty-sized dose and within 8 weeks, his back straightened out and he lived without pain for another 4 yrs. Stuff works great but you have to use Enough of it.
I’m giving this to my dog in the 250 milligram rate 2 pills a day as prescribed by the vet. This is a long with a pain pill and some pain liquid because the tumors have been hurting her so very much. My dog has been drinking a lot of water for a long time so I would not notice if that had increased any at all. The only other thing I have noticed is that my dog, a 10 year old dachshund, sleeps a lot more than usual.
My first pup was a mini-doxie, back in the early 60′s. She had cancer 3x, the last time she just didn’t go into remission anymore. She was a month from her 16th and we were told for a breed that recent (at the time), she was Very Old. But we waited till she was in pain and couldn’t get up anymore before we made the decision.
I’d say that if your dog is still eating and drinking, not constantly vomiting, isn’t crying out when you touch her hind haunches, that your baby isn’t allergic to this drug.
I’m not going to discount this drug in the altogether. It obvoiusly DOES help most dogs or it wouldn’t be on the market.
My problem is that when a dog DOES show failing after 4 days or so depending on your animal, that the allergic reaction is usually very fierce and Hurts and sometimes, Kills your pet.
My anger is reserved for veternarians out there who I’ve spoken to who ABSOLUTELY DENY that this drug could POSSIBLY be responsible.
My labrador went LAME from Cephalexin. It happened after 2 weeks on the drug: 500mg 2x/day. Luckily she ate & walked gingerly sometime later that day. I took her completely off the drug. I started feeding her canned Purina One
every 4 hours. She was lame on Monday & by Friday night she ran again for the first time. I bathed her last night with the special shampoo. I’m curious about how to treat her without that drug or any drugs? She’s got alot of scaly patches
& a rather large 4″x2″ barish spot.
Really simple actually. A lot of vets like Keflex as the “go-to” drug of choice in an antibiotic. Just ask your vet what they used before Keflex. That’s what I did. I was told there was no way it could’ve hurt my dog by two vets. That’s when I walked out of their offices.
I treat vets like I treat my own physicians. If they use words like “always” and “never”, since medicine is NOT an exact science, I walk.
Those of us here on this site and a few others I’ve seen KNOW BETTER.
But there are many antibiotics out there. You should be able to find one your Lab tolerates well. But remember – allergic to Keflex(Cephalexin) once, your dog is allergic to it forever.
Oh – and P.S.- get your dog off Purina and find a specialty store. Yes, Blue Buffalo and Candidae cost about 3x as much, but the other benefit I found was not only did my dog rally, his allergies almost disapppeared! He used to get ear and eye infections many times a year until I started him on foods like these.
That savings of over a dozen vet visits a yr. for those I felt was well worth it. These are companies started by people who have had the same problems that others have had with commercial foods. You never know what they’re REALLY putting in there. He also likes those Merrick stews. ( I discovered them watching the Today Show). They actually put bowls of them out for the hosts, LOL! And they really look & smell like you could serve them to the family, LOL!
The research is readily available online. Just gotta look. I usually put in the search engine the name of the food, and then the word “complaints” or “problem” and then decide if that person’s opinion applies to me.
Distended stomach can be caused by a slow moving digestive system. Fiber usually helps in abdominal distention.:
Our own web-site
http://www.healthmedicinelab.com/triglycerides-diet/
My labrador is still feeling effects from Cephalexin that I stopped about 1 month ago. I am now making her meals of ground beef, turkey or chicken tenderloins weighed to 3 ozs. each meal with whole grain pasta, veggies & Total cereal. Dogs need protein to build strong muscles. Got abit waylayed with Sandy & the loss of power & it showed in the dog’s strength. Probably won’t cook every meal forever but when trying to regain her strength diet is very important.
I took her back to the same vet who wanted to give her the left over Cephalexin & then was very rude to me & walked out of the examining room. Maybe she was angry when I questioned whether she wanted to help the dog or not. Seems she wanted to harm – perhaps kill – the dog.
I have found bathing the dog with the prescribed antifungal/antimicrobial shampoo very helpful. I followed the directions & left it on my dog for 10 minutes. I’ve also started her on flaxseed oil. The hot spot is totally healed although she still has some crusty patches uner the fur here & there.
My prayers & thoughts to everyone out there with sick pets. I hope they all recover quickly. Feed them well if they can eat. If not, maybe IVs as one lady I met at the vets was doing.
Cynthia – Great for you! Yeah, I’ve had to deal with vets who have told me point-blank to my face “Your dog didn’t get sick from Cephalexin” and when I attempt to show them my evidence, they simply write me off saying I have no medical training and what could I possibly know or understand.
I’ve walked out of I can’t tell you how many vet’s offices just for saying that to me. I say screw ‘em. If they really cared about the animals, they wouldn’t be so adverse to reading other, more Recent studies.
I still can’t get any of these idiots to see that K-D almost killed my dog. But that’s because veternary offices make such a G-D killing $$-wise off it.
A good vet doesn’t do that.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t leave very many out there. And my search continues . . . . . .
By the way, I don’t know why, but ever since I started Bobo on watermelon, he’s just been getting stronger & stronger. I still can’t find anything out about WHY though. (and with a 55-lb dog, about 1/2 to 3/4 lb./day supplemented with his reg. food)
My border collie had SEVERE itching of unknown cause for about one year and was losing his hair (it’s since become very thin). He was itching 24/7 and was absolutely miserable. I tried many antibiotics , including Cephalexin (which made him vomit, so I stopped) and he was prescribed predisone which I never used (afraid of side-effects), Benedryl, anti-histamines,and about everything else one can think of.
After searching the internet I finally came across a scientific study by a vetrinarian who found that simple “bathing therapy” can resolve itching in a very high number of cases; it appears many dogs are allergic to the bacteria in their own skin oils. She suggested bathing once a week , even every day (in extreme cases). It was interesting, because the advise seemed counter-intuitive; I, myself, was hardly bathing my dog at all, because I thought dry skin would make matters worse, and he was getting worse and worse.
Desperate, I began bathing him frequently and kept him on Benedryl. At first, the bathing only brought relief for a day or so. Gradually, it brought more and more relief. He is currently off Benedryl and off all meds. Sometimes, he starts to scratch again and then I immediately bathe him with a medicated shampoo. The results are now long-lasting, up to several weeks itch-free. This simple cure worked for my dog, who I feared would suffer his entire life.
It is easy and safe and worth a try!
Our Piper was just percribed Cephalexin 3 days ago. She’s had only 3 doses and last night she started pacing back and forth, panting heavily. Not knowing what the issue was, we tried to give her another dose which she refused. Around 12:30 last night she vomited which we thought may have been the result of her getting into the trash the day before but she continued to dry heave and began whimpering and howling. We got out of bed only to find her in a full blown seziure. Since then she has been nearly completely parylized and in A LOT of pain. We’re taking her back to the vet today, but if they don’t recognize that it could be side effects of this medication we’re going to get a second opinion…thanks for the information.
Good for you. It may or may not make a difference for you to make a copy of this column. Most vets will scoff. Yeah – 3 days? That’s when I first noticed my Bobo acting strangely. If I hadn’t continued him on it for another couple days, he may not have suffered the damage to his kidneys he incurred.
Why do so many vets think we’re crazy? We’re not; our dogs are being sickened by this drug and no one will take it seriously (I believe) because they’re making so much money off it I guess.
Just don’t let them sell you any of that K-D crap. That just made my dog worse. Get some organically raised ground beef. When Bobo got sick recently, I fed him just that (raw) and watermelon. In 4 days, he was back to his old self.
Don’t let them tell you that the protein needs to be held back. That’s not it; it’s the sulfur compounds and other things. A dog without protein fails.
When they tell you that, I’d ask how old that info is. The info I found was from 2002.
And apparently, it also has something to do with the type of protein. I read that fattier, lower quality proteins are better (thus the ground beef over fish or a lean steak).
I don’t know what it is about the watermelon? The vitamins? The fiber? The moisture? But whatever it is, it’s working for my animal. (Of course, the first time he tried it was when he noticed my husband and I slurping some down; he’s the type that wants to try everything we eat)
I’m betting the watermelon is the fiber and water.
Pardon the brevity and the typos. This was sent from my iPhone.
Hey – no prob. Sorry it looks like I “hijacked” your thread here, LOL! But with what I’ve been going through with Bobo, I’ve gotten really activistic.
Also have pissed off more than a few veternarians along the way.
Thinking of drafting a letter to the FDA or whatever regulatory agency that overlooks this sort of thing. Has to be a database somewhere, doesn’t there?
update: Our 11 year old, beloved Piper died yesterday morning. She apparently had tumors on her spleen that had most likely spread to her heart and liver, so she would have probably died within a couple months. To my surprise our vet said that the cephlexin COULD HAVE KILLED HER. We’re grieving right now and know that it’s going to take a long time to get used to her not being here…Maybe taking the medication sped up the process thereby reducing the amount of suffering she may have gone through otherwise. God works in mysterious ways, and we’re trying to look at the “upside” of this ordeal. We Love and miss you, Piper.
Ah Joe, I’m so sorry. I know how hard it is. I’ve had pets go in moments and through a course of time. Doesn’t matter; it still hurts. We just Miss them So Much!
Sam & I have discussed what we will do and how we will feel many times, but end up ending the conversation as it is so sad. (but as the wife, I have to go to the practical because he, quite frankly, can’t, poor baby, and someone Has to.)
You’ll be okay. It will take time like anytime someone passes from this world. It will happen to us one day. But it’s the “missing” that gets to you. And the good memories.
Give yourself Time. It’s not much consolation, but it does work Eventually.
Take care of yourself and yours. And again, my deepest sympathies on your loss.
And getting another dog is Not a betrayal.
(and if you have a vet that would at least acknowledge that the Keflex could have contributed, keep that vet. Sounds like someone willing to keep learning and that’s the best medical help you can get)
Thanks 58sage, we’ll get through it, eventually.
scrambled eggs and oatmeal will probably kill him alot faster than Keflex
Except not. That’s the best diet (along with white rice) for a dog with an upset digestive system.
But actually not for kidney disease. Nausea yes, but not kidney problemed dogs. Most of the readings I did seem to implicate foods with sulfur compounds as doing the most damage. So I used egg whites only since the yolks are full of sulfur. And for some reason, the oatmeal was also found to be harsh on the kidneys. Rice was the preferred grain and white, sticky rice the best choice. Found list online for sulfur counts in foods.
The egg whites – thank goodness I found that you can just buy cartons of whites in the dairy dept. at the store. Was getting tired of baking so many custards and pound cakes – was getting fat too, LOL!
You can?!?!? I’ve got to make a ton of macarons this Christmas and was dreading all the egg noodles I had to make to use up the yolks.
This is terrific news!
Oh yeah, no prob – I’ve seen pints and quarts of egg whites. Also great for Chinese stir-fries.
I lost my best friend (a beautiful Golden Retriever) four months ago to what I have suspected ever since was the use of cephlexin to treat a hot spot. I gave her the medication as prescribed over a ten-day course. About mid-way through her treatment, I noticed her panting excessively and becoming somewhat lethargic on her daily walks. I initially thought it was a flare-up of a very mild case of Lyme that she had been treated for previously with much success. She then had two “peeing” accidents in the house which concerned me because she was nine years old and never had an accident since her housebreaking as a puppy. Finally, on the morning of the sixth day after completing the course of this antibiotic, I noticed her backend “swaying like a drunk” when she walked across the yard to do her business. She also would not eat or drink that morning, which alarmed me and told me that something was very wrong. I got her in to see my vet that same day and she was diagnosed with severe autoimmune hemalytic anemia (her white blood cells were destroying her red blood cells). She was also becoming jaundiced (billirubin was being released into her system). My vet treated her that day and saw her again the next day when she referred us to an emergency animal specialty hospital for blood transfusions because her red blood count was still extremely low after her treatment the day before. At the end of the second day at the specialty hospital and after having two blood transfusions (one on each of those two days), I was told that she was beginning to respond to the second tranfusion with an acceptable red blood count. However, within hours of that news, I received a call from the treating vet that my precious friend had taken a sudden turn for the worse and “supposedly” developed severe pneumonia. I was told that her prognosis was poor as she was too weak to fight both conditions now. So, after only four days of being diagnosed, I was given no real alternative but to allow the sunshine of my life to be euthanized. I know that my own vet cared very much about my dog and would never, ever do anything to harm any animal. I, unfortunately, do have questions about what happened at the specialty hospital, but realize I will never know for sure. After doing my own research on some reliable veterinary websites, I learned that some medications, along with a handful of other things, are “suspected” causes of this type of anemia. Cephlexin is one of the medications listed. It is apparently difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of AIHA, but since my dog had been on this particular antibiotic when her symptoms began, I would think that cephlexin would be considered in this case. I know that nothing will bring my pet back, but I am devastated and am still trying to come to terms with all of this. I talked with my vet about what could have caused my, otherwise, healthy dog to develop such a devastating illness so suddenly. When I mentioned my research and what I discovered about cephlexin, my vet told me that some medications are suspected but that this is not one of them. My understanding is that jaundice is a result of kidney/liver malfunction, which has been listed as a possible side-effect of using this antiobiotic. And this would be tied in with the red blood cell issue, from what I understand. I only wish that I had been made aware of the possible side effects of this drug so I would have known what to look for. Maybe my vet never encountered this scenario before, and I certainly do not believe she would knowingly give my dog something that could harm her. I will never know for sure what happened, but if I eventually get another dog, I know that I will never allow this drug to be used again. Unfortunately, this whole thing has made me a bit fearful about getting another dog and dealing with having to use medications in the future. After reading the posts here, I wanted to share my story for your “information only” as I am not an expert, and maybe a part of me just needs to share my sorrow with other folks who share the same kind of love for their pets. I somehow feel responsible for the loss of my beloved pet because I have no clear-cut answer and find myself constantly wondering and going over things in my mind, looking for “signs” or trying to remember anything that may have been a clue prior to her getting sick that month. I miss my best friend so very much. My best to all of you and your beloved “best friends”.
My furkid has been diagnosed with chronic ear infections. Vet prescribed cephalexin. 500. X2 twice a day. For 5 to 6 weeks. Very scared after reading these posts. Any advice appreciated
my dog did fine…..just stop if dog has probs
I’m a vet, and regardless of my feeling on Cephalexin, this course of treatment probably won’t fix your dog’s ears. Ear infections are usually secondary to allergies, most commonly food allergies. You should discuss a possible food change with your vet (beef, chicken, wheat, dairy the most common causes)…keep in mind treats and people food are BIG sources. I would recommend an ear swab to find the appropriate topical medication, regular ear cleanings (can be done with water with a little vinegar in it), and corticosteroid (prednisone, vetalog, etc) pills or injection. Good luck! Ears can be tricky!
Thank you for ringing in Jen. I believe you’re right there. My Bobo had ear infections, on average, once a month for years. And as I said before, I took Pride in feeding my babes as cheaply as possible. How Wrong I was. When he became so sick from the Cephalexin, I tried mostly organic solutions. He got better, but better still, I got Educated.
I believe Precisely because I changed his diet up to quality food, his allergies have been almost eliminated. In the past almost 1 1/2 yrs. since he first suffered his reaction, he’s only had ONE allergy attack.
Jen – I read a number of sites that also advocated straight alcohol mixed 50/50 with water to be poured into the ear. It just sounded so strong; are they right? I’d like to go back to vinegar, but after trying it for his yeast probs, he runs at the smell and fights me horribly to get away. I have had some good results with a ticture of rosemary in aloe water however. Thinkin’ I’ll go back to that.
I wouldn’t recommend doing a 50/50 alcohol mix! I’ve seen things like that before and it seems ridiculously harsh! And if the vinegar bothers him, just do water. For really irritated ears, we use lukewarm water with a bulb syringe (nasal aspirator for kids) to clean ears. The main purpose is to get the debris out of the ear, so bacteria and yeast don’t have a medium to grow.
Thank you Jen. ‘ppreciate that.
No problem!
Doc Jen –
I will take it forgranted that you’ve perused this entire column. When I was facing this situation, I scoured the internet for 2 weeks, about 3-7 hours/day for answers. So it should not surprise you that I came across quite a few forums besides this one where owners were discussing this drug and how it affected their pets.
Of the research I did. it seemed to indicate that this drug appears to be an allergen in approx. 3% – 7% with most studies indicating a range of 3% – 5%. I included individual vet’s studies as well as a couple from overseas (an Italian medical university one I looked at was specifically for the lameness issue. Thank my lucky stars I tried to learn a little Latin as a teen, LOL)
Now, nowhere in the clinical research I read showed such a sudden death as some here have experienced, but did show that when the protocol was continued in spite of my listed side-affects, the results were always an eventual fatality for kidney-damage reasons.
Most people, as I’m sure you’ll agree, give their vets the benefit of the doubt because of their education. I know I did which is why I didn’t take Bobo off the Keflex after the first protocol even though he presented the symptoms I described. I trusted my vet. She trusted her education. As it should be.
And that’s the problem. Unless a vet asks the family to watch for these things, most families would accept them as acceptable side-affects and continue to give the drug. And that’s when a vet and a family have to face a tragedy that’s un-necessary. I believe that when most vets are told/taught/introduced to this drug, they aren’t being given ALL the actuary tables. Just the ones that show the drug as harmless. After all, we’ve seen this done with medications for humans; would I not believe the drug companies would shield their negative findings for dogs as well? The FDA is just not a reliable institution anymore since they’ve started allowing those affiliated with the drug companies onto their boards.
The only thing I’m asking of the veternary profession is to recognize that this drug CAN occasionally be an allergen, as evidenced by symptoms and lab results, and that they take the risk more seriously. There’s just too much evidence. My vet listened to me and so did her professor who I spoke with later at Iowa State. They accepted lab results that other vets have insisted to me are anecdotes because they knew me and how serious I was. The result is that she still administers this drug, although at lower doses now (findings showed that 500mg 2X/twice per day was almost double of what was needed for effectiveness) and with a warning for owners to look for specific side-affects. My guess is that she’ll never lose a patient this way.
So vets should continue to prescribe Ceph “With The Addendum’ that they tell owners – “if your dog should start to exhibit these symptoms in 3-5 days, stop the drug and call me and we’ll find another antibiotic. This one’s not good for your dog.” (And maybe a follow-up to see if there is any kidney damage.)
I don’t think that’s unreasonable.
Lisa – Look for symptoms. If in 3-4 days, your baby is showing signs of distress like:
Vomiting water
Refusing food
Being listless & disinterested and ESPECIALLY
If your furkid shows lameness or soreness in the hind quarters,
STOP the regimen IMMEDIATELY.
This means yours is allergic to this drug and should never have it prescribed again. (Also look for the brand name Keflex – same drug)
If your dog isn’t having these symptoms, your dog is not allergic to it. If your pet is allergic, hopefully you’ll recognize this ASAP and be able to stop to prevent kidney damage.
SuzyQ – I am SO sorry for your loss. This is why I keep coming back to this column. I want to get the word out. Vets (no offense Jen) by and large, have been refusing to attribute ANY harm coming from this drug. I’ve been told my dog must have been sick all along, that I was dosing my dog beyond what I was told, even that my dog was faking symptoms for attention, if you can believe that! It just makes me so angry when they look at the papers I bring them and scoff as if I couldn’t tell the difference between anecdotal and clinical or between “less than” or “more than” symbols on a clinical trial sheet.
I’ve told them over and over that the studies I’ve been bringing them are RECENT, that the idea of withholding protein is from OLD studies when dealing with kidney disease. They just keep pushing the K-D diet at me even though I’ve told them my dog failed even worse on that food!
I read about the anemia when Bobo was also diagnosed with that as part of the kidney failure he’s experiencing now. Again, it just seemed totally counter-intuitive to withhold protein which was what I was advised. In practice, when he’s going down like that, I give him raw, organically-raised hamburger – low-quality protein (think they call it that because of the high fat content) and his watermelon. He rallies within 5 days on that diet and then I slowly bring his normal food back.
I also read about blood transfusions and other protocols for the anemia. Unfortunately, none of them seem to offer any better than a 50/50 chance and in some of these cases, it seems to actually do more harm than good. And I read about how expensive those treatments are for how little they could end up doing. I can only imagine the helplessness and frustration you must’ve been feeling. I am so sorry.
When death comes to the door, it’s those left behind who suffer the worst, if only because we MISS our loved ones so much! Don’t beat yourself up please. Yes, you could go back over everything, but that won’t help and will only make you feel guilty which you shouldn’t. Right now you have to deal with your sadness.
Just talk to your friends and acquaintances who have dogs or who have friends that have dogs. Get the word out. Don’t scare people, but make them understand that they have to monitor their pets when this drug is prescribed. If we get the word out far enough, maybe the FDA will finally issue a warning to vets to get their patients to monitor any they prescribe this drug to. That would be the best outcome and being proactive could be healing for you like it has been for me.
My prayers are with you.
I think the reason why vets don’t believe it is because it isn’t a common allergy. I have NEVER seen this reaction to Cephalexin, but if a patient starts vomiting on Cepha, I stop it and prescribe something different and make a note not to use it anymore. I have seen reactions to many other antibiotics, some severe and some not, but it doesn’t keep me from using them again in a different dog when indicated. I think it is wrong to demonize a good and CHEAP drug when it has its place in medicine. I see clients every day that can’t afford drugs, and it is nice to have a free script to Meijer/Walmart, etc as an option for them. I can’t speak for all, but veterinarians in general do the job they do because they care for their clients and pets, not to make money…if we wanted to do that, we would have gone into human medicine or another science-related profession. And I would most certainly make WAY more money prescribing an animal-only on-label medication like Baytril or Primor, but those drugs have more side effects and can be cost-prohibitive.
Our dog has been on Keflrx for months. Now and is stumbling on each walk. Has hot spots. Don’t know what to do. He is 13 years old
For Month??? No wonder you dog is lame. He highly toxified with that stuff. It’s an anti-biotic. Except for CAFO cattle and other dometics, no animal should be on that stuff for more than two weeks! You absolutely need to find another vet. Is he being prescibed this med for the hot spots originally? You need to find the Cause for that instead of constantly dosing your dog.
Sorry, that should have read “Months”, and I didn’t mean to give the impression that I thought CAFO should even exist, let alone be given all those antibiotics. That’s where over 80% of antibiotics end up which is why we’re developing all these antibiotic-resistant infections and diseases now.
One should only try to buy grass-fed, non-hormone, non-antibiotic fed meat & poultry.
Update on Bobo – Jan. 25th, 2012.
Bobo died this evening. Hadn’t eaten in 48 hours, wouldn’t drink anything but snow for 3 days. Hadn’t walked in a week. Hadn’t had a bowel movement in a week.
When he began to toss and turn, that was time. I wouldn’t do it unless he was in real pain and I knew from personal exp. that his show of discomfort was simular to what I’d experienced after surgery after anesthesia wore off.
I know people thought at the first sign of pain, the merciful thing to do is administer the shot. This was more like my grandmother’s death. And while she was not quite comfortable at the end, I hardly think she would not have fought me off would I have approached with a pillow in hand.
So I held him the last 72 hours. With the exception of a single business dinner I could not get out of, he was with me every minute till the end.
Thanks to anyone who has been following this whole thing. I’d write more, but right now, aside from boring the crap out of everyone, to tell the truth, I’m a bit numb and feel very drained. Anyone who has ever sat waiting for death, going thru the procedures of death and/or the after-times of death knows that feeling. Please excuse me.
I am so incredibly sorry.
Pardon the brevity and the typos. This was sent from my iPhone.
Katherine,
Thank you for your post about Keflex, I believe that it has saved my dogs life.
My 15 year old papillon, Naomi, ate 4 small stones and was experiencing extreme discomfort. Trying to have her expell the stones with medication failed. Because of her age I took her into a vet clinic that was a referral center for dogs and cats with specialty surgeons and an ICU. Her vet felt that her heart and other vitals were strong enough to tolerate the surgery to remove the stones. She came through it beautifully and was put on the antibiotic Keflex as a precaution. Day 3 post-op she was running around quite happily but I noticed she had a slight tendency to trip with her front legs I thought that this was just that the soft collar she was wearing was getting in her way. Day 4 I had to go out of town and a friend came in to look after her and my other dogs. Day 6 my friend was reporting that something was very wrong, that she was sleeping all the time and seemed very uncoordinated. I arrived back on the afternoon of day 7, she could stand outside on the rough ground and walk a few steps but was very weak, her expression was dull, I dosed her again that evening with the Keflex then later that evening sat down to do a computer search to see if I could find out what the problem might be. As soon as I found your article I knew that this was it and immediately stopped the the Keflex. Day 8 she was not able to stand, was extremely uncoordinated, and had very rapid respirations, however throughout this whole ordeal her appetite was good. By day 10 she was starting to improve.
My frustration was that the vets in the intensive care clinic where she had the surgery were adament that it was not the Keflex that was causing her problems. They believed that it was some sort of neurological condition. They wanted me to bring her back again so that they could do some neurological testing with a specialist however, as she was already improving and as it was very expensive I declined
Today is day 34, she is back to her old self running around and complaining as only she can if I am slow with the food. She runs around outside well but still has a bit of a residual weakness in her back legs on the lino floor. She is still improving.
Thank you so much for your post I am truly grateful for the information and believe that this has indeed saved her life as I would likely have dosed her for another day before discontinuing the antibiotic.
Shirra Kenworthy
Langley, BC, Canada
Just one comment here Shirra (and so glad your baby is better).
You may want to have some of the kidney values checked to see if damage was done. Your dog may appear fine, but there may be damage that would indicate you want to change your dog’s diet to fattier, lower-quality proteins as detailed in the forum posts.
Found that the vast majority of vets, for some reason, REFUSE to blame the Keflex, even though this antibiotic was relatively recently released for use in pets.
I have found that they choose not to listen to, not just patients, but any of the European studies. I think it’s protectionism and really good sales reps who are actually killing our pets. But in the grand scheme of things, vets are doctors, in a sense, and experience of many, many years has shown me that doctors are nothing, if not hubristic.
Hi my dog was prescribed Cephalexin for hot spots and has been fine for the three days he has taken it for hot spots but after reading these problems is there any other other medication to give for hotspots they also gave me a spray nolvasan , I have about 12 days more at 2 pills a day at 500mg for a 70 pound dog.
As I did my research, one thing I did discover was that most control groups of dogs were given – at that weight class – they were given the dosage you indicate. My dog was given twice that dose. I believe that’s one of the reasons hiis kidneys sucumbed so quickly.
But as long as your dog is eating, drinking, no more than a tad tired (as opposed to your dog’s “normal” state), not vomitting, not showing pain in the hind quarters, he is one of the lucky 94% who is not allergic.
I’m not trying to condemn in entirety, this drug. When it is effective, it works great. I just wish that vets would include the warning of what to look for and if those symptoms do present, to stop the medication immediately.
A distended stomach normally designates an increase in the girth of the stomach. It normally results because of an escalation in pressure intra-abdominal which drives the wall of the abdomen out as well as being the reason why the stomach distends.:
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My min pin Is going through the same thing right now. Thank you for posting this, information. I’ve looked up side effects from the antibiotic & this Is the page that talks about this particular side effect. I’m taking him off the medicine. Thank you again!
Alicia – it’s great that you’re taking this information to heart, but have to wonder if you’re taking your dog off the med because of the fear or because your pin is having side effects?
Like I’ve said a few times, “most” dogs don’t suffer from this allergy. BUT, if the symptoms DO appear, that’s when you talk to your vet after stopping the med. There are still other antibiotics out there and your darlin’ pet may still need medication.
leo april 15 2013
I brought my 11yr. old to his vet because of UTI.he was given cephalexin 500mg 2x a day.After 5 days I have to stop the med. because he stop eating,started vomiting and drinking a lot of water.I brought him back to the vet they run blood test and the result is pancreatitis.He was given panakare to combat this but it didn’t help.He still won”t eat,drinking a lot of water and weakness on his hind legs.after 2wks. he started vomiting blood,we took him back to his vet and the prognosis is ulcer,he was given sucralfate but didn’t help.The vet decided to put him on IV for overnight the following day when I picked him up,things didn’t change.After more than 4wks. of taking cephalexin our dog BRUTUS finally said good-bye.The research I have done I really believe it is the cephalexin that did this to him.So please all pet lovers don’t give your pets this drug.DO NOT SUFFER LIKE US.