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...My pet has diarrhea, can I give Pepto-Bismol®? For cats no. For dogs yes, but only if your dog is
bright, has an appetite, and not showing any signs of abdominal pain. The dose for dogs is 1mL per
4kg of body weight (in English that is about 1 tsp per 40 lbs). It should be given three or four times
a day. Pepto-Bismol® is an ancillary therapy to the usual strategies for managing diarrhea which are
to: allow your dog to drink as much water as they want and withhold food until 24hours have passed since
the last bout of diarrhea. The active compound in Pepto-Bismol® is bismuth subsalicylate.
This compound is cleaved in the small intestine into bismuth and salicylate. Salicylate is also
the active compound of Aspirin®. Cats cannot clear salicylate from the body like dogs and people can.
Therefore inappropriate dosing of either drug can quickly become toxic to your cat. Do not use Pepto-Bismol®
or Aspirin® in your cat unless directed by your veterinarian. If diarrhea persists for five
days or worsens while on Pepto-Bismol®, discontinue the medication and schedule an appointment with your veterinarian.
Dr. Jeffrey Person practices at the Delton Veterinary Hospital
and co-hosts the listener call-in show Pet Talk, heard every Sunday morning at 7a.m. on AM630 CHED.
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