Does any one know what Metronidazole does and its role in curing pancreatitus in puppies?

If a vet did not reccommend this, I wouldnt do it.. its an antibiotic.

Basic Information

Metronidazole is an antibiotic which is commonly used to treat protozoal infections and anaerobic bacterial infections. It also has anti-inflammatory effects in the bowel. Metronidazole is bactericidal; it kills bacterial microorganisms by disrupting their DNA. It is rapidly absorbed from the GI tract, metabolized by the liver and excreted in the urine and the feces. Because metronidazole only has activity against anaerobic bacteria, it is commonly used with other antibiotics when it is used to treat mixed bacterial infections. It is compatible with many other antibiotics including penicillin antibiotics, aminoglycosides, and some cephalosporins.

Dogs and Cats

Metronidazole is used to treat protozoal infections in cats and dogs including Giardia, Entamoeba, Trichomonas, and Balantidium. It is also used to treat anaerobic bacterial infections. Metronidazole has immune modulating activity and may be prescribed to treat inflammatory bowel disease. It may be used to treat colitis caused by other antibiotics, periodontal disease (especially in cats), Clostridium perfringens enterotoxemia, tetanus, diarrhea of undetermined cause, pancreatic insufficiency (with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), and complications of severe liver disease. Metronidazole may be used with corticosteroids in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, or gum disease (gingivitis/stomatitis) in cats. Topical metronidazole gel is used in the treatment of skin infections, such as feline chin acne.

Metronidazole is usually tolerated better if given with food and there are a wide variety of flavors and preparations made by compounding pharmacies in order to deal with the problems associated with the bitter taste. Because of the variety of uses for this drug, dose amount, frequency and duration of treatment vary widely.

Metronidazole is antibiotic that is specifically used to help with diarrhea (it acts against many of the common bacteria and protozoal causes of diarrhea). Its exact mechanism of action is not completely understood, but it is taken-up by anaerobic organisms where it is reduced to an unidentified polar compound. It is believed that this compound is responsible for the drug's antimicrobial activity by disrupting DNA and nucleic acid synthesis in the bacteria.

Stress (all of the situations you mentioned) can bring on pancreatitis in a dog that is prone to it. Pancreatitis does not usually affect young puppies. You didnt say how old the pup is or if its vaccinated, has he been tested for Parvo and had xrays to rule out a foreign body? Those are the top two most common reasons for vomiting and diarrhea in young dogs.

There is not a home cure for this, but there are simple treatments for this serious illness. If your dog has acute pancreatitis, he'll need to be on subcutaneous fluids. This would be a bag with saline solution with added stuff like antibiotics, anti-nausea medication and whatever else the Vet puts into it. When a dog has pancreatitis, they are sickened by eating or drinking so the subcutaneous fluids keep them hydrated while treating the illness. I have a dog that went through three serious bouts. I am not sure what caused it, but we tweaked her diet until we got it right- to prevent further bouts. This means she eats foods that are healthy, avoiding fatty foods, skin on meats, no rawhides or treats that are hard and chewy because she tends to gulp and swallow rather than to chew. She was 5 yrs old when she had the last bout. She is 11 going on 12 now and very healthy. We are not sure if the illness was also related to contaminated dog food during the big dog food recalls. Whatever the case, she is healthy and well now. It is expensive to hospitalize your dog, but maybe your Vet will help you as ours helped us. With the last bout, we took home an I.V. bag and needles for subcutaneous fluids and I hung it on a hanger on a ceiling fan with taped off switch so no one would turn it on. I put her on blankets at the foot of the bed and treated her around the clock with every 15 minutes subcutaneous fluids forming a pouch under her skin, up one side and down the other with one hour breaks between each four treatments. She recovered very nicely. Next, she had to first just drink distilled water mixed with pedialyte once she was off the 24 hour fluids subcutaneous. Then she was slowly introduced back to food which stated with a small portion of boiled skinless boneless chicken breast and plain boiled and well cooked white rice. We gave her small portions of this three or so times a day. Then bigger portions the next day as tolerated. After that we started adding in some of her regular food until she was gradually eating as normal- this was over about the course of a week and a half. With her pancreatitis she was vomiting blood and having bloody explosive diarrhea. She survived this just fine with the care I described. Then strict diet including the treats she eats after that.

My only experience with metronidazole is for treating diarrhea which may be a symptom of pancreatitus.

It is an antibiotic for the gastral intestinal system. It helps basically to kill bad bacteria that is in his intestines bc the pancreas is inflamed and not helping the digestive system. That's why they vomit and have bad pooh.