Septicemia in my dog

Gizmoe acted droopy for a couple of days. By the second afternoon he was critically ill. We took him in right away. After $3700.00 and a week in the hospital the doc said it was Septicemia,we were able to bring him home meds,lactulose 2.5cc every 8 hours,clavamox 62.5 mg tab (q) 12 hours,Baytril 68mg tab (QD) mitazapin 1/4 tab (QD), tramado l25 mg (q) 12 hours. When he will stop acting like he is drunk when he walks. He acts like someone who has had too much to drink. Why does he act like this?

  • Vetinfo

    By: Erika Raines El Segundo, CA

    Replied on 04/19/2011

    There are a couple of reasons that your dog may be acting drunk. First, he may have been exposed to bacterial toxins during his bout of septicemia, which means having bacteria in the blood stream. These toxins could affect his equilibrium and brain function. It is likely that this will return to normal once the bacteria are under control. The second, and more likely reason, is that your dog is sensitive to the tramadol you are administering. Tramadol is an opiate class pain relieving drug. The dose he is receiving seems rather small but some dogs, particularly when sick, can be very sensitive to this drug. You could consult with your veterinarian about possibly lowering the tramadol dose or discontinuing it altogether to see if your dog actually is in pain and if the drunken behavior stops when the medication does. If he isn't in pain, he may not need tramadol at all. Erika, DVM

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