tlc Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 (edited) Hi Guys, just wondering if anyone has had any experience with giardia in their dog/dogs. My girls are therapy dogs and have to be tested every 3 months. They have a throat swab and stool sample tested. All good so far but this last one they and done, Lacy tested positive for Giardia. So she Can't visit now till she has 3 clear tests which have to be done over 3 months. She recently had the first test since she got it and I will get the results tomorrow. I asked the vet about antibiotics but he said because she didn't have any symptoms antibiotics were not needed. I was going to give her drontal but to treat for Giardia with drontal she has to have 3 full doses for 3 consecutive days, I was worried about what that would so to her?? I think if her results tomorrow are still positive I will ask for anti biotics. So if anyone has had any experience with this I'd love to hear it. Edited August 9, 2011 by tlc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 (edited) Deleted post. Edited August 8, 2011 by Erny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ams Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 One of my dogs had giardia when I adopted him from a rescue in Sydney but his was really bad and he was on ab's for ages. Eventually I got the sh*ts with him having the sh*ts and I gave him Inner Health Plus tablets for two days and it helped immensely. I've used IHP several times since for dogs with giardia and other tummy upsets. I think treating for giardia regardless of what you use it has to be for three days anyway due to the lifecycle of the bug. Happy for someone to correct me if I'm wrong. I guess the concern would be if one dog has it then they can pass it to the others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 (edited) Deleted post. Edited August 8, 2011 by Erny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tlc Posted August 8, 2011 Author Share Posted August 8, 2011 Thanks for the feed back, well that's what I am worried about to is the other three getting it, however I thought it was strange that Delta told me as Tullys results were negative she cans still visit the hospital,but I would have thought what if she catches it off Lacy? It doesn't really matter at this point in time as I can't visit myself as I have whooping cough and the doctors recommended me to steer clear of the hospital till I feel much better. Ams do you mean inner health plus that we would take? What sort of dose would I be looking at giving her? She is around 13 kilos. It will be interesting to see what the results are tomorrow, it's my vets day off but I'm hoping he is there, he left a msg on my machine tonight but by the time i got home from work and rang he was gone. All the while Lacy seems fine, no diarorreah (sp) she seems happy enough in herself and playing around like usual. Also the other 3 are all good. The thing is I cant figure out where they may have got it from as I havent taken them out much with ring sick, however the one place we do go has a big drinking bowl and is frequented by lots of dogs. So possibly there? I really am reluctant to give her 3 days worth of drontal at $36 bucks, and look the money is not the issue, im worrried the drontal will effect her, and I thought antibiotics would be better? So Erny you reckon AB's would be no good as it is a parasite not a bacteria? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tlc Posted August 8, 2011 Author Share Posted August 8, 2011 My vet said lots of dogs have it with no symptoms, it's just that having mine routinely tested is why it showed up, he also said most dogs thathave it have no symptoms. But I have a friend who used to work at a big kennel inMelbourne and she said when it went through there it was awful as every dog had the runs and it was very hard to control, it obviously effects dogs differently. I do find with Lacy she seems to have a lower immune system than the other 3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavNrott Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 I always thought Metronidazole was the preferred antibiotic for Giardia. Luckily none of my dogs has ever had it. Faith was tested for it but she was negative. We put her on Metronidizole anyway because there was something going on that wasn't showing up in the path results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBL Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 Yes one of mine had it and I think it was treated with metronidazole (can't remember exactly but it sounds familiar). It took us a long time to get a diagnosis (first few samples weren't fresh enough to detect it so we were treating other things) neither of our others got it though His only symptom was a really gurgly stomach at 4 and 5 in the morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ams Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 I give one IHP tablet per day. Pei weight between 15 - 25 kg. I've only ever needed to give it for two days and then the tummy has been better. Usually it is treated with Flagyl tablets and in rescue we often use Panacur which is given three days in succession. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 (edited) So Erny you reckon AB's would be no good as it is a parasite not a bacteria? Just ignore me. I think I have myself confused. Will delete posts. Time I closed down the PC. Edited August 8, 2011 by Erny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ravensmyst00 Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 Ask your vet about worming your dog with fenbendozol ie Panacur. in my experience with using it - it is less harsh on the system than Drontol but it also treats gairdia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ams Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 Sorry also forgot that Baycox can also be used to treat giardia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tlc Posted August 8, 2011 Author Share Posted August 8, 2011 Thanks guys, will take all advice into consideration. It's hard cause she seems fine, but I don't want to get pos test after pos test, especially when she Has to have 3 neg ones to be able to visit again! Awwww Erny, I wish you hadn't deleted your posts, I always look forward to Your input in threads!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titanium Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 My old Dane got it when she was younger from the pre-school kids when there was a bad "outbreak"(for want of a better word" at the school many years back. She adored the kids even though they gave her the S*%ts! She was not the only dog affected through the school so the vet was right onto it. AB's and yacult sugar free every day until her poo's started firming up. She was very sick for quite awhile, but I swear by Yacult! She loved it too :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mason_Gibbs Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 I find yakult does nothing for my dog but Inner Health Plus helps him heaps if he has had antibiotics and an upset tummy. Humans take 1 cap a day so i just give him 1 cap a day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tlc Posted August 9, 2011 Author Share Posted August 9, 2011 (edited) Well I am gobsmacked now, I just rang the vet and my vet is off today but the receptionist spoke to another vet who looked at Lacys results, her tests for Giardia are now negative but she now has salmonella. I can't talk to my vet till tomorrow to find out what treatment she needs or if all the dogs will need to be treated. One of them had an accident inside the other day while I was at work and I am sure by the size of it, it was Cooper and anyone who knows this boy knows he would never do this, very out of character for him, or any of them to do something like this. I had a bit of a google and found a bit of stuff and thought this bit was interesting Puppies, young adults and dogs with weakened immune systems are most susceptible to salmonella. Most dogs infected with salmonella have what's known as "subclinical carrier state". This means that they have been infected but only very mildly & don't display any clinical manifestations of the disease. Salmonellosis isn't seen very often in dogs & it is believed they have a natural immunity to the bacteria. Risk factors which can make a dog more susceptible to salmonellosis include dogs in high stress situations & environments, dogs who's natural resistance has been compromised due to another infection, So it could be possible that due to the Giardia she had a weekend immune system and picked up the selmonella. The only think I can think of is that she may have got it from raw chicken as they often have wings and necks as part of thier diet. So now to change the topic has anyone had any dealings with Selmonella in dogs?? Edited August 9, 2011 by tlc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tlc Posted August 9, 2011 Author Share Posted August 9, 2011 Also in regards to what erny said in an earlier post, this It seems there is some controversy over the use of antibiotics to treat simple cases of salmonella enteritis (intestinal inflammation) with diarrhoea in dogs, suggesting that antibiotics can actually favour the growth of antibiotic resistant strains of salmonella. Antibiotics are therefore reserved for severely ill dogs. which is probly why the vets didn't give me the AB's in the first place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tlc Posted August 9, 2011 Author Share Posted August 9, 2011 I just had an email from the Delta lady that deals with all the path testing and she said that the dog can test positive for selmonella and not actually be sick and the only time they ask for the dog to be treated is if she has a positive result next month. This is what she wrote. Yes it does alter the testing now as it means you will have to start again so 3 more clean tests. I wouldn’t be worried about Tully but your vet can give you more advice because normally the dog is asymptomatic and a carrier which means they excrete the bug. The only time we would ask you to treat it would be if she came up with again next month. You should however avoid feeding raw chicken and meat when you are on pathology testing as you are more likely to come up with a pathogen like Salmonella. So I'm probly worrying about nothing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ams Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 I hope it's all okay. Sounds like a really worrying time for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tlc Posted August 9, 2011 Author Share Posted August 9, 2011 Well I'm thinking it's probly not as bad as it sounds, I'll just wait to see what the vet says tomorrow. I'm just a worry wart, some of the stuff I've read has said lots of dogs carry the bug, but you never know because it's not something they test for unless there is symptoms. In any case no hospital visits for at least 3 months if she gets three clear tests! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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