Giardia

[sandgrubber]

The 'studies about dogs' thread discusses a study of the prevailence of intestinal parasites in dogs and cats. Interesting: giardia is the most common dog parasite. Does anyone know what Giardia does in dogs? or how it is treated?

[Rysup]

I did a bit of research on Giardia a while back. Now Im pretty sure the treatment is with Drontal, but memory is poor.

Symptoms generally are mild recurring diarrhea consisting of soft, light-colored stools, to acute explosive diarrhea in severe cases. Other signs associated with giardia are weight loss, listlessness, fatigue, mucus in the stool, and anorexia.

Edited to add - this is from the Drontal website. Treatment is given for 3 days in a row

New Australian research has revealed that almost 10% of dogs are infected with Giardia, a parasite that can cause serious gastrointestinal disease in pets and humans.1

Drontal Allwormer is the only non-prescription treatment available for Giardia. Protecting your pets against Giardia – the commonest intestinal parasite in dogs – may also protect your family from infection.1

Edited March 24, 2010 by Rysup

[Starkehre]

Giardia causes fairly severe diarrhoea, which can in turn cause dehydration. The diarrhoea will be very runny and very often and will not improve until treated. Because these parasite tend to infect the small intestine, the pup/dog does not usually appear sick or flat (unless dehydration becomes an issue). It does tend to be more common in pups than older dogs.

I am not familiar with Drontal being a successful treatment. Anti-biotics are usually required to my knowledge.

The infected faeces needs to be screened to see if the giardia is present under the microscope.

Infected water is a common cause. Giardia can be present in bird droppings, so if these birds have eliminated in water or even on the dirt or concrete around the home, it can be picked up this way.

Keeping drinking bowls etc cleaned regularly can be a preventative. Plus try to ensure pup/dog does not have access to eating bird, cat possum poo etc.

Dogs drinking out of clam shells and other water that can lay around for a while and has a large surface area are an obvious risk, as bird droppings fall into these readily.

Edited March 25, 2010 by dyzney

[Staff'n'Toller]

Drontal has a Giardia claim on it now, so you can use it to treat Giardia.

We had a dog with another exotic type of parasite she picked up from eating all sorts of poo in the park and it was treated with another type of wormer that was listed as a treatment and the problem resolved.

[Furkidsforever]

My Goldens have had giardia (possibly via bird and possum droppings) and Metrogyl (flagyl) was prescribed by the vet, which cleared up the problem very quickly.

Furkidsforever

[kingy]

my pug had it at 2 months old...

he got really bad diarrhoea and they did some test and found out that it came from DAM water.. little bugs in dam water..

i called the breeder and she said she has no idea how he got it but they have 3 dams on there land...

go figure...

[aussielover]

METRONIDAZOLE USUALLY CLEARS IT UP

[16Paws]

My pup had it at about 4months, very severe runs with mucus, was treated with from memory, a penicillin(spelling?) injection and oral anti-biotics, I think we also put her on a bland diet for the week. She did not have any of the other symptoms and it cleared up after 3-4 days of treatment.

[Kirislin]

I had a litter of 6 puppies get it from their mothers milk. It took 8 days to show and it nearly killed them all. I had to treat all dogs with AB's. That was almost 6 years ago, I dont know if the treatment has changed, I too have heard Drontal fixes it now but I haven't heard that from a vet.

[indigirl]

Ive had giardia at my house a few times. Its nasty and its contagious to PEOPLE plus other pets. My bunny gave it to my dog who passed it on to me eek! Best treatment for dogs is panacur, for ppl flagyl though it makes you really queasy. The bunny was admitted to vet for his trearment.

The dose of panacur is 1m per 10kgs bodyweight three consecutive days. Its what most everyone in rescue would use to treat it. Works like a charm!

My first experience of giardia was when i was living in Darwina nd working in a child care centre. Oh my god I was soo sick! Since then Ive had a very healthy respect for it. Nasty nasty illness - but a dynmaite way to lose weight fast lol.

[Kostalot]

The 'studies about dogs' thread discusses a study of the prevailence of intestinal parasites in dogs and cats. Interesting: giardia is the most common dog parasite. Does anyone know what Giardia does in dogs? or how it is treated?

I have had really bad giardia in a litter of pups, nearly killed all of them. We finally worked out that it was from them eating potting mix, which we weren't aware of until my Father In Law who comes down and feeds pups lunch mentioned it in passing one day when I rang him to check if the pups were eating and he told me "oh no, they're off playing and eating potting mix like they do everyday" (potting mix was thrown out that day and father in law given new instructions). This litter actually had antibiotic resistant giardia and it had a devastating effect on their bone and condition. They are now just starting to look like real Labradors at 6 months of age. I hate Giardia and wish we could get the vaccination or Drontal that is available in the USA which includes Giardia in its spectrum. Nasty, nasty stuff.

[Erny]

Protecting your pets against Giardia – the commonest intestinal parasite in dogs – may also protect your family from infection.1

I hope that's not suggesting that people should now apply this as yet another additional drug as a "just in case" measure.

Kal (avatar girl - bless her cotton socks) had a bad case of Giardia when I adopted her. I can't recall what we treated her with - I remember the initial 'drench' not sitting well with her and so we used another one - I was told it was an old fashioned horse drench. Anyway, that finally did the job. It was not Drontal. I had to keep mailing stool samples into Werribee Vet Hospital on a regular basis until we were able to confirm the parasite count was down to zero. Her symptom was mainly explosive diarrhoea not vomiting but it can be both.

It was embarrassing going to the Post Office with my Express Post envelope and having to declare what it contained. After the first couple of times they stopped asking.

Edited March 25, 2010 by Erny

[Monah]

Giardia is extemely common in pets and humans esp those who drink from water tanks.

When our dogs had it now and again, it was treated the same as humans with flagyl.

You cannot 'prevent' giardia, only treat it. Unless you intend to live on meds forever.

Indigirl, I dont know about it being passed along the line like that, more likely you all drank the same water over a period of time. Giardia also returns often once you have had it.

My GF had 5 boys who all had it, they wee very careful with water on the farm, boiled all the tank water etc and did not allow them to use tap water to brush teeth etc. she could not understand it, UNTIL she saw them suck the flannel when they were having baths Bloody tanks are alive with giardia, the whole of KI had it at one time or another.

[Rascalmyshadow]

Our little jrxmalt had it when we got her, she only weighed 900g at the time and the vets thought it was parvo, very similar symptoms. The parvo test came back negative but she ended up being positive for giardia and coccidia. She was treated with flagyl, we also had to change the water bowls morning and night to lower the risks of the other dogs catching it.

[Mas1981]

The vet thought that my pup had Giardia in the beginning of the year, they gave him Drontal for 2 days in a row and 2 sets of different antibiotics, it turned out that luckily he didnt have it but they needed to start treatment before the lab results were back.

[Mystiqview]

I had guardia from drinking Sydney water!!!! No surprise there.

On holidays once in Shitney... Drank the water. Vet said it was due to the different bugs in localised water. You get used to your own bugs, so when you go somewhere else and drink local water, you can get it.

found this: Link

[Kirislin]

I had guardia from drinking Sydney water!!!! No surprise there.

On holidays once in Shitney... Drank the water. Vet said it was due to the different bugs in localised water. You get used to your own bugs, so when you go somewhere else and drink local water, you can get it.

found this: Link

did you see a vet about your own giardia?