# Went to the Vet... Giardia



## Anthony8858 (Sep 18, 2011)

Kira has has some on and off diarrhea. Add the not so lustrous coat, and my concern about her lighter weight, warranted a visit to the vet.
She had a great checkup.
Brought a stool sample, and she tested negative for worms, but had a positive for giardia.

Doctor gave us meds for giardia.
Otherwise OK.

Her vet first wanted to firm up the stools. They (saw me coming), and sold me some prescription canned dog food called "ID". She gave us a 2 week supply, and said it should help curb the loose stools, along with the meds.

I'd like to know more about Giardia, and some of your experiences and concerns.

Thanks


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## Jack's Dad (Jun 7, 2011)

Not expert on med issues but had to treat a pup for that. The meds work and will clear it up but the meds can cause side effects. Stomach upset, loss of appetite, loose stools and probably others. I remember mine didn't want to eat while on meds so vet did the same thing as with you. Canned food for sensitive stomach until pup got well.


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

Giardia can be a pain. It can take months to get rid of, but the dog might not even show any symptoms. Who knows if the Giardia is even causing the loose stools. This set of meds might not even get rid of it... Giardia really has a habit of not going away sometimes with small pups. Don't be shocked if that next fecal comes up positive too.

Did they want to you to come back after you go through all those Giardia meds for another fecal? 

And what were you feeding prior to this new bag of food? And let me guess... it's science diet that they conveniently sell right in the waiting room, right?


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## Jack's Dad (Jun 7, 2011)

This is what makes the forum interesting.

Mine took 2 different meds. It was cleared up in a month. Yes Paul it was Science Diet but since my pup was barely eating at all, a months worth of Science Diet was not the end of the world. He ate it while on the meds and then I switched.

It was canned food.


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

You mean your dog didn't spontaneously combust from eating that stuff, even for that month?


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## Jack's Dad (Jun 7, 2011)

Lucy Dog said:


> You mean your dog didn't spontaneously combust from eating that stuff, even for that month?


Nope. Just changed colors.


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

Jack's Dad said:


> Nope. Just changed colors.


Yeah... i heard that the corn in that stuff will do that. 

OP - My advice is just do as the vet recommends for now. Go back for another fecal when ready and hope for the best, but don't be too surprised if it comes back positive again. Giardia is a pretty common thing with puppies, so I wouldn't be too worried. Just follow what the vet says and your pup should be find.


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## Anthony8858 (Sep 18, 2011)

Lucy Dog said:


> Yeah... i heard that the corn in that stuff will do that.
> 
> OP - My advice is just do as the vet recommends for now. Go back for another fecal when ready and hope for the best, but don't be too surprised if it comes back positive again. Giardia is a pretty common thing with puppies, so I wouldn't be too worried. Just follow what the vet says and your pup should be find.


My wife was nervous,.... I was more concerned about the vet bill . I knew that they "saw us coming", and we would walk out with a bunch of meds and foods.
Sure enough, 24 cans of "ID canine prescription diet" food, Giardia meds, topical ointment for a little irritation on her belly, and some "belly wash", a few tests for worms, and Giardia, and a $300.00 vet bill.
OK, no take out this week ... Pasta all week.


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## Caledon (Nov 10, 2008)

Giardia is really hard to fight. 

My kitten had Giardia. I brought him home he jumped up on my bed and pooped on it, even though he knew where the litter box was. The quality of the poop made me collect a sample and took him and the sample into the vets. Giardia was confirmed. Called the breeder to inform her. Breeder told me the kitten got it from the vets, not from her. Crazy lady. Cat went from her house to my bed in a matter of hours.

It took a while to get rid of it. Had to treat my other cat too. I did have to buy special bland food as well. Can't remember how long I had to feed it to him. Research it. I had to disinfect the litter area with a bleach mixture and had to vacuum more than I wanted to. Also had to bath both cats to make sure they were not passing the bug to each other by licking their fur.

Had to wash all their toys and bedding with a bleach mixture too.

It took a long time to get rid of it. Then we had do test samples unitl it came back clear @ $55.00 a test. Came back clear but 2 or 3 months later the cat gets it again, so it was not really clear. Should have listened and did another test after the first clear. This time I almost lost my kitten as he was very sick.

Was not fun for the vets office either. They had to ensure that the exam room was disinfected after the visits. Easier for a cat than a dog as I had a carrier.

Tested Dakota for this the first day I got her. The vet said they see a lot of cases from breeders. Goes through their kennels. I think your puppy is fairly new. You may want to give your breeder a call to give them a heads up. It's something they should be looking for in case it did come from them. They not even be aware of it. Sometimes the animal does not react to it until they are stressed.

Research it and follow the suggestions on how to get rid of it.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Both Keefer & Halo had it as pups. I've heard that it can be difficult to get rid of, but that was not my experience. I think we treated Keef just to be on the safe side when Halo had it, (so they wouldn't pass it back and forth between them since they both poop in the same dog run), even though he never showed any symptoms. I asked the vet if there was anything we could do to make sure we got it out of the environment in case it was at our house vs them having picked it up somewhere else, like at the park, and he said, deadpan: "napalm". :rofl: 

Fortunately they were both fine after that and it was not an issue.


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

Anthony8858 said:


> My wife was nervous,.... I was more concerned about the vet bill . I knew that they "saw us coming", and we would walk out with a bunch of meds and foods.
> Sure enough, 24 cans of "ID canine prescription diet" food, Giardia meds, topical ointment for a little irritation on her belly, and some "belly wash", a few tests for worms, and Giardia, and a $300.00 vet bill.
> OK, no take out this week ... Pasta all week.


Science Diet is crap. Couldn't be more blunt than that. It's overpriced and just complete crap. Sometimes I think vets push that stuff to make dogs sick for more vet visits.

He's not going to die from the stuff, but there are much better things you can be feeding. Who even knows if the loose stools is even caused by the Giardia. Like I said before, some dogs don't even show symptoms with giardia.

If I were you, I'd return the food. There are plenty of limited ingredient diets better than that. Pushing 24 cans on you for a premium price is just not right.

As for the $300 vet bill... that's nothing. Wait until something major goes wrong, though hopefully nothing ever does. I've had vet bills in the thousands before.


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

Cassidy's Mom said:


> Both Keefer & Halo had it as pups. I've heard that it can be difficult to get rid of, but that was not my experience. I think we treated Keef just to be on the safe side when Halo had it, (so they wouldn't pass it back and forth between them since they both poop in the same dog run), even though he never showed any symptoms. I asked the vet if there was anything we could do to make sure we got it out of the environment in case it was at our house vs them having picked it up somewhere else, like at the park, and he said, deadpan: "napalm". :rofl:
> 
> Fortunately they were both fine after that and it was not an issue.


I'm pretty sure Giardia is not contagious between dogs. At least that's my understanding of it.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Heh...we usually just take the stool in and they test it here @ our vet, $35.00.
We keep those meds on hand (Flagyl/metronidazole) for the rescue, so we just ask them for the dosage. We also keep ALBON (coccidia) and our own dewormers including tapeworm stuff (praziquantel) and roundworm stuff (pyrantel). 
All those can be found here: Discount Vet Supplies and Animal Supplies for Breeders, Rescues, Pet and Livestock Owners 

But to say they saw you coming...? Naw. They are good and thorough. You pay them to be that way. 

But if you want to keep the flagyl/metronidazole on hand to use _only_ after a positive giardia test (and get the dosage from the vet) check Discount Vet Supplies and Animal Supplies for Breeders, Rescues, Pet and Livestock Owners and tell BETTY that A PAW UP Rescue sent ya


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Giardia is contagious between dogs, since it sheds in the fecal material. Humans can get it from dogs, too. It is fairly serious in terms of knocking down their immune system and making them susceptible to other illnesses. 

As for the SD canned i/d, it's actually fairly good to have on hand for stomach upsets. You could return some of it (maybe half) but I would recommend keeping the dog on it for a while. 

It's main ingredients are turkey and pork, this is not the kibbles that are primarily corn. 
There are times we've used it in our rescue and dogs ate it when they would refuse even Gerber baby food.

And if you don't trust your vet, why go there?? :thinking:



Lucy Dog said:


> Science Diet is crap. Couldn't be more blunt than that. It's overpriced and just complete crap. Sometimes I think vets push that stuff to make dogs sick for more vet visits.
> 
> He's not going to die from the stuff, but there are much better things you can be feeding. Who even knows if the loose stools is even caused by the Giardia. Like I said before, some dogs don't even show symptoms with giardia.
> 
> ...


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

I don't trust 99% of vets with recommending foods or diets. Never have, never will. All they ever recommend is the crap they push in their waiting rooms. With everything else, I listen to what they tell me.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Our vet does not push foods, but we've used i/d (recommended by them) and there are times when I would recommend an S/D product if your dog is sick or has a health problem.
I've fed the liver diet to dogs with liver shunts quite successfully.
Yes their other foods are a waste of money but the prescription diets (which i/d is one of them) are not as bad as all that and in many cases are the only thing a dog can eat.
i/d is one of the few things S/D makes that I would in fact buy. And that's because of personal experience, not just "my beliefs" or anyone elses.


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## Anthony8858 (Sep 18, 2011)

msvette2u said:


> Giardia is contagious between dogs, since it sheds in the fecal material. Humans can get it from dogs, too. It is fairly serious in terms of knocking down their immune system and making them susceptible to other illnesses.
> 
> As for the SD canned i/d, it's actually fairly good to have on hand for stomach upsets. You could return some of it (maybe half) but I would recommend keeping the dog on it for a while.
> 
> ...


I have a grassy area in the rear of my yard, that I'm using as the potty area. I pick up the stool after each movement, but I hose the remaining stool, and / or loose stool.
Are there any measures I should take when cleaning the yard?


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Just clean it up and keep rinsing like you're doing. 
I mean, it's just the one dog, right? You don't have another one that may become infected?
Giardia is also known as "beaver fever" and I believe lives in stagnant water, like lakes, rivers, and unclean pools. I think not having standing water would be important to make sure the protozoa doesn't stick around.

***I like "Dr. Mike" for all kinds of information, probably more than you wanted 
http://www.vetinfo.com/dgiardia.html


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## Anthony8858 (Sep 18, 2011)

msvette2u said:


> Just clean it up and keep rinsing like you're doing.
> I mean, it's just the one dog, right? You don't have another one that may become infected?
> Giardia is also known as "beaver fever" and I believe lives in stagnant water, like lakes, rivers, and unclean pools. I think not having standing water would be important to make sure the protozoa doesn't stick around.
> 
> ...


We also have a Maltese, but she never leaves the house, and she does her business on a wee pad.
Her stools are hard, and have been that way.

Is it safe to use a "bleach spray' back there?
Should I bother?


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

You can use 1 cup of bleach in a gallon of water, it probably won't hurt the grass but not sure if it helps with the dispersal of the protozoa or not.


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## zyppi (Jun 2, 2006)

Didn't read all the replies, but you should know that you can get giardia from any contaminated area.

Had a friend that had a pup, unknown to her, with giarda and she ended up in the hospital with doctors stymied - after much testing - with the symptoms. Her daughter mentioned the pup, they retested, and yes it was giardia.

So make sure all areas are cleaned.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

The woman was in the hospital? Or the dog?


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## angierose (Apr 20, 2009)

Our dog had giarda, a couple summers ago I guess. We did use a bleach solution on the yard and washed all the bedding in bleach. After a month, she retested just fine.


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## CelticGlory (Jan 19, 2006)

I would use gloves and different shoes that you can leave outside (latex-free clear gloves and put kitchen gloves on top), get a spray bottle and dilute some bleach with water and have it outside of your doors; you can also use lysol. As far as the yard I would treat the yard with diluted bleach and water.


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## Jack's Dad (Jun 7, 2011)

_Giardia_ in dogs can cause diarrhea, vomiting, weight loss, poor condition, or death. However, many infected dogs show no symptoms.
People can get _giardia_, causing diarrhea or other problems, but rarely from dogs.
Dogs get _giardia_ from water that has been soiled with feces. Give your dog safe, clean water to drink.
Pick up your dog's feces immediatly, avoiding contact with your skin.
From Pets and Parasites.org


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## Life.Interrupted.2x (Aug 17, 2011)

*...for Giardia*

Usually the vets will give Flagyl (brand) or Metronidizole (generic) daily 2x. If the Giardia still persists, some will even give Panacur. I don't like either, but have found the FOOD GRADE diatomaceous earth a wonder. Go by what's on the jar. It softens the giardia shells by making them eventually crumple away. Also in addition, give pumpkin and a really good probiotic as any type of parasite does not like areas where they can't thrive. I use prostora by Iams for one dog, Proviable for another. I sometimes mix Jarrow formula Pet Dolphilus which is also quite good. Giardia is a protozoan parasite and the dogs stomach. 
If you want to order the DE, try Diatomaceous Earth-Food Grade-Diatomaceous Earth Wholesale..
Forgot to ask you, was this giardia or giardia with cysts? 
Good luck


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## Holmeshx2 (Apr 25, 2010)

When Jinx had Giardia pumpkin DID NOT work at all!!! I tried and tried and tried and we had no luck even though pumpkin generally works great when she has some loose stools. If it's bad just go to the meds and let them work. Im all for natural whenever possible but sometimes you just need to let the meds do their job. When she had giardia it was bad constant watery poops had to give her an actual medicine to firm them up and gave her the flagyl which was great (well the generic) as much as I hate meds and hate the side effects sometimes just let them go and give your dog the meds. The food on the otherhand doesn't make too much of a difference if you're dog isn't eating try some healthy human food to get food in their bellies or a high quality canned food and they should be willing to eat it only reason I would give the food the vet gave is because of the price of it.. a few days or even weeks of junky food isn't going to do much however you can get it much cheaper elsewhere.


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## 1sttimeforgsd (Jul 29, 2010)

SIL took her two dogs to the vet for reg checkup and he mentioned to her that they get the Giardia vaccine for them both. These dogs never leave their yard and the only water that they are exposed to are a dog pool and their water bowl. I know that water is one of the places to get exposed, but does everyone think that the vaccine is warranted for dogs that never leave their backyard?


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## Holmeshx2 (Apr 25, 2010)

if there is water in the backyard I'd be careful.. not sure about the vaccine but definitely be careful leaving water in the yard. Other animals contaminated with it could easily get into the water (squirrels etc..) walk in feces then those paws go in the water and voila water has it dog gets sick. hate leaving water in the yard thats how Jinx got sick.


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## Anthony8858 (Sep 18, 2011)

Holmeshx2 said:


> if there is water in the backyard I'd be careful.. not sure about the vaccine but definitely be careful leaving water in the yard. Other animals contaminated with it could easily get into the water (squirrels etc..) walk in feces then those paws go in the water and voila water has it dog gets sick. hate leaving water in the yard thats how Jinx got sick.


This could be a source of concern. I have a grassy yard, and the drainage is not the best. we've had quite a bit of rain, and the ground has been saturated.
Kira poops in one area of the yard. I pick it up, then hose the residual poop.
Of course, common sense says that I'm washing the giardia right into the soil area.

I don't care about the grass..... But I'm thinking about attaching a bleach dispenser to the garden hose, and spraying the whole yard down.

What about the fresh bleach burning her nose? That stuff bothers me, I can't imagine how it smells to their super sensitive snout.


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## lrodptl (Nov 12, 2009)

We used Safe-Guard Goat dewormer from Tractor Supply for Giardia when Fritz was a pup. Worked in 1 week for half the price. $19.99.
Safe-Guard Goat Dewormer, 125 mL - 2226898 | Tractor Supply Company


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

Stosh picked up giardia when he was a pup- probably out of our pasture. We have a lot of wild critters and water lays in some areas after a big rain. He did well on the meds and the ID, in fact he loved the ID. Like others have said, you need to retest in 2 wks and I had him tested again a month later because it can be a pesky bug. Since he's had it once, the vet always takes a sample right out of the oven if you know what I mean. It is possible for humans to get it from the poop so you need to wash your hands after handling the dog and cleaning up after her. I wasn't possible to treat my entire yard so I just washed the bedding, toys and floors. She should be fine but it's something to stay on top of.


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## Anthony8858 (Sep 18, 2011)

Happy to say, that after 24 hours of meds, her stool has hardened up nicely. So if the food was playing a role, removing it, and giving her the ID worked as advertised.
HOWEVER (I bet you knew that was coming), her appetite suddenly has become voracious. Either she loves that food, or she's starving. Her energy level was sky high today, and her spirits were terrific. I increased her food portion a bit, and that quieted her down.
I'm assuming it was a combination or removing the bulky / expanding grain from her diet, along with the elimination of treats for the day.
Kira loves the canned food, so I may want to introduce holistic or raw into her diet, as soon as she's done with the prescribed treatment.

Back to the giardia. I'll follow the vet's orders, and see what happens in a few weeks.
I may rip up a section of grass, and create a concrete potty area for her. Seems much easier to clean, and possibly safer too.

Opinions are welcomed to continue.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

I think most dogs LOVE LOVE LOVE canned food vs dry,,mine would most likely chow it down and want more to) 

Glad she's feeling better and being her feisty little self


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## zyppi (Jun 2, 2006)

My friend was in the hospital and very, very sick!


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## Anthony8858 (Sep 18, 2011)

Vet just called my home with the complete results from the giardiasis test, and informed me that the giardia is not shedding. She wants to continue the treatment, and follow up in a couple weeks.
I took this as good news.


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## TechieDog (Jan 13, 2011)

They gave Kato Panacur - a 5 day dose. It seemed to help for a bit while he was on it but now I am not sure anymore. I am keeping a close eye on his weight and we will be going back to the vet soon. Sucks.


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## Pepper311 (Sep 11, 2011)

I had this with our new pup. I got her with it from the rescue. I have 2 other dogs and I treated all my dogs with Panacur. The 2 dogs that we're showing more signs of it also got metronidazole. Together these 2 meds will get rid of it. 

I got Hills WD food and that did help the poop firm up a lot. Because it's a bland diet. 

Dogs can so easily reinfect them self. That is way clean up is so so so important. I would wipe my dogs feet and butt off with baby wipes after she went poo. I would go out with my dog every time she pooped and cleaned up the poop as soon as she was done. You can even use a little bleach on areas were poop was. Bleach kills this stuff in a few minutes 

Giardia can live a month in cool wet places. It is a water parasite so once it dries out it dies. But it can live in the smallest amount of water like on wet grass or moist soil. It does not do well in dry hot places. 

Dogs need to ingest it to get it. So you think that's not too bad my dog does not eat poop. All they need to do it lick their butt or a paw that got fecal matter on it. 

Don't bring your dog around other dogs when you know your dog has it. Don't take your dog outside with out a poop bag. Keeping the environment as clean as you can.

It's s pain in the neck to deal with but you can fix it.


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## Anthony8858 (Sep 18, 2011)

If it makes matters easier, we've spent the past 2 days taking her for a quick poop walk. We both walked her morning noon and evening. She did her thing in a nice isolated area of concrete around the corner from my home. Cleanup was easy.
Today, I'm bleaching my entire rear yard, and I may create a concrete poop area for those snowy, miserable nights, when we don't feel like strolling.


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## Pepper311 (Sep 11, 2011)

Anthony8858 said:


> If it makes matters easier, we've spent the past 2 days taking her for a quick poop walk. We both walked her morning noon and evening. She did her thing in a nice isolated area of concrete around the corner from my home. Cleanup was easy.
> Today, I'm bleaching my entire rear yard, and I may create a concrete poop area for those snowy, miserable nights, when we don't feel like strolling.


Yeah you got it. Just keep doing what your doing. You can't be too clean when dealing with this. Some people even steam clean their house I did not do this.

Also when was the last time your pup had a bath? Keeping the dog clean helps too. 

Your getting snow? I live in Tahoe and we got a little bit but it's gone now. I read Giardia will not survive if frozen. But does last longer when kept cold.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

lrodptl said:


> We used Safe-Guard Goat dewormer from Tractor Supply for Giardia when Fritz was a pup. Worked in 1 week for half the price. $19.99.
> Safe-Guard Goat Dewormer, 125 mL - 2226898 | Tractor Supply Company


I would not encourage the OP in this case to buy a horse wormer and use it in place of the Flagyl/metronidazole.

Veterinarians would not encourage this, and it's not about them making a profit, it is about the best and proven cure for giardia. We recently had a giardia case, we keep Flagyl (it's generic) on hand and when I asked our vet about which to use, Safeguard (fenbendazole) or Flagyl (metronidazole), she told us use metronidazole and gave us the dosage for it for that particular dog.

If metronidazole failed to work, you might ask your vet about using Safeguard (which comes in a dog dosage so you're not attempting to use a dose appropriate for a dog out of a tube of medicine for an animal that weighs 800-1000lbs more than most dogs) but only do so on a vet's advice.


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## Anthony8858 (Sep 18, 2011)

Pepper311 said:


> Yeah you got it. Just keep doing what your doing. You can't be too clean when dealing with this. Some people even steam clean their house I did not do this.
> 
> Also when was the last time your pup had a bath? Keeping the dog clean helps too.
> 
> Your getting snow? I live in Tahoe and we got a little bit but it's gone now. I read Giardia will not survive if frozen. But does last longer when kept cold.


She had a bath last week. If I'm not mistaken, GSD aren't supposed to get too many baths.

As far as snow.... well, I live in NY. Last year, we had over 60 inches total, but some brutal blizzards accounted for some major accumulations.
We should start seeing the white stuff in about 6 weeks...or when Kira's about 5 months  
That should be fun.


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## lrodptl (Nov 12, 2009)

msvette2u said:


> I would not encourage the OP in this case to buy a horse wormer and use it in place of the Flagyl/metronidazole.
> 
> Veterinarians would not encourage this, and it's not about them making a profit, it is about the best and proven cure for giardia. We recently had a giardia case, we keep Flagyl (it's generic) on hand and when I asked our vet about which to use, Safeguard (fenbendazole) or Flagyl (metronidazole), she told us use metronidazole and gave us the dosage for it for that particular dog.
> 
> If metronidazole failed to work, you might ask your vet about using Safeguard (which comes in a dog dosage so you're not attempting to use a dose appropriate for a dog out of a tube of medicine for an animal that weighs 800-1000lbs more than most dogs) but only do so on a vet's advice.


Giardia is best treated with Panacur. You can buy a 125ml 10% solution at Tractor Supply for around $18.00. Panacur liquid is not labled for dogs but the 10% solution is sold as Safe-Guard Goat Wormer and is the exact same thing. I would treat at 1ml per 5 pounds for 3 to 5 days. Panacur is very safe with little to no side effects. i would treat for 5 days then retest.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Which vet school did you attend to be able to make that assertion? 
Or was it just a parasitology class? 
Because vets never say "run out and buy a tube of horse wormer", they prescribe a specific medication, metronidazole (different than fenbendazole).

Besides...your point is quite moot since the OPs dog is recovering on Flagyl/metronidazole.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Anthony8858 said:


> She had a bath last week. If I'm not mistaken, GSD aren't supposed to get too many baths.
> 
> As far as snow.... well, I live in NY. Last year, we had over 60 inches total, but some brutal blizzards accounted for some major accumulations.
> We should start seeing the white stuff in about 6 weeks...or when Kira's about 5 months
> That should be fun.


You could always try just wiping her hind end off with a baby wipe or two after she has a BM.


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## lrodptl (Nov 12, 2009)

msvette2u said:


> Which vet school did you attend to be able to make that assertion?
> Or was it just a parasitology class?
> Because vets never say "run out and buy a tube of horse wormer", they prescribe a specific medication, metronidazole (different than fenbendazole).
> 
> Besides...your point is quite moot since the OPs dog is recovering on Flagyl/metronidazole.


Panacur and Safeguard are both exactly the same. They are the same active ingredient (Fenbendazole) and the same strength(s) and even manufactured by the same company (Intervet). The main difference (as far as I can discern) is that Panacur is available by prescription or through a Veterinarian only whereas Safeguard is widely available.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

lrodptl said:


> Panacur and Safeguard are both exactly the same. They are the same active ingredient (Fenbendazole) and the same strength(s) and even manufactured by the same company (Intervet). The main difference (as far as I can discern) is that Panacur is available by prescription or through a Veterinarian only whereas Safeguard is widely available.


I am aware of that - we have a dog rescue and had horses and I understand the ingredients are "exactly the same".

However, we're talking about FLAGYL/metronidazole, not fenbendazole/Safeguard/panacur. Two entirely different medications although the same "class" (zoles), rather like ampicillin is related to penicillin.**you can buy Panacur -C (canine) for dogs anywhere-- http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=pana...p.,cf.osb&fp=e3c21e68ff40ded6&biw=909&bih=471

That said, metronidazole is the 1st line of defense against giardia, not fenbendazole.


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## lrodptl (Nov 12, 2009)

msvette2u said:


> I am aware of that - we have a dog rescue and had horses and I understand the ingredients are "exactly the same".
> 
> However, we're talking about FLAGYL/metronidazole, not fenbendazole/Safeguard/panacur. Two entirely different medications although the same "class" (zoles), rather like ampicillin is related to penicillin.**you can buy Panacur -C (canine) for dogs anywhere-- Google
> 
> That said, metronidazole is the 1st line of defense against giardia, not fenbendazole.


I never mentioned horses,you did. My Vet recommended Panacur at $40 as the first line of defense. Just a little bit of research here indicated that Panacur and Safe-Guard $19 were the same thing. Mydog was cured in 5 days.
http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/basic-care/127252-giardia-treatment.html


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Ah you're using the goat formula...when I saw feed store I automatically thought of the horse formulation of Pancur (it comes in large tubes for usage in horses). BTW it also comes pelleted for goats. 

However, vets usually prefer to use metronidazole for the condition which is why the OPs vet prescribed it. 
What's your take on metronidazole vs. fenbendazole?


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## lrodptl (Nov 12, 2009)

msvette2u said:


> Ah you're using the goat formula...
> However, vets usually prefer to use metronidazole for the condition which is why the OPs vet prescribed it.
> What's your take on metronidazole vs. fenbendazole?


From the thread I started 2 years ago,it indicated that metro could have serious side effects. My Vet prescribed Panacur and I found it at half price with a different label. Anything my Vets prescribe get researched by me for alternatives,side effects,other owners and breeders experiences,before I fork over any money. Nothing is bought on their word alone before I leave their property.


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## Pepper311 (Sep 11, 2011)

Anthony8858 said:


> She had a bath last week. If I'm not mistaken, GSD aren't supposed to get too many baths.
> 
> As far as snow.... well, I live in NY. Last year, we had over 60 inches total, but some brutal blizzards accounted for some major accumulations.
> We should start seeing the white stuff in about 6 weeks...or when Kira's about 5 months
> That should be fun.


No dog should be bathed everyday. Once a week it ok but I don't do that. I just made sure I gave my dogs a bath when I was dealing with it. 

Good luck stick to what you are doing. 

Yes winter with puppy will be fun.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Metro is widely used in humans as well as pets and is considered quite safe...curious why people bother with vets if they don't trust them at all?

And as mentioned before, we keep dozens of meds on hand to treat our rescued dogs, our vet prescribed it but with no financial gain to her, since we always have metro in our medicine chest. I wonder why she would prescribe it if she was not gaining financially from telling us to give that as opposed to a cheaper med?


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## lrodptl (Nov 12, 2009)

msvette2u said:


> Metro is widely used in humans as well as pets and is considered quite safe...curious why people bother with vets if they don't trust them at all?
> 
> And as mentioned before, we keep dozens of meds on hand to treat our rescued dogs, our vet prescribed it but with no financial gain to her, since we always have metro in our medicine chest. I wonder why she would prescribe it if she was not gaining financially from telling us to give that as opposed to a cheaper med?


A 15-40% markup on vet provided meds is normal business practice. In the case of the Panacur,it was 100% by VCA hospitals compared to retail. I'm sure you purchased the Metro at some point.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Yep we did, from Discount Vet Supplies and Animal Supplies for Breeders, Rescues, Pet and Livestock Owners We rarely if ever buy meds from the vet's office unless it's a prescription and we can't get it online, or in their dosage.


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## TechieDog (Jan 13, 2011)

lrodptl said:


> From the thread I started 2 years ago,it indicated that metro could have serious side effects. My Vet prescribed Panacur and I found it at half price with a different label. Anything my Vets prescribe get researched by me for alternatives,side effects,other owners and breeders experiences,before I fork over any money. Nothing is bought on their word alone before I leave their property.


FWIW, my vet recommended Panacur too.


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## Six (Oct 16, 2011)

I know its a couple weeks old but didn't want to start a new thread for the same information. Just had a question regarding giardia.

The vet called and said Six's fecal test came back positive for giardia. I just picked up their prescription, Panacur X 5 days. They said he is not shedding the cyst, what does this mean for me as far as prognosis and passing it on to our other dog (I've got a long night of disinfecting ahead of me). Our other dog got a clean bill of health before we got Six so I'm assuming he brought it into the environment once we brought him home and the vet said it most likely won't pass to him.
Thanks in advance.


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## ponyfarm (Apr 11, 2010)

For what its worth, my adult dogs did not get giardia when the puppy brought it home. No way I could disinfect 15 acres!! Of course, I mopped the floors with Pinesol, but they were on their own for the rest of it.


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## TechieDog (Jan 13, 2011)

There is not really all that much you can do. I put some bleach in a spray bottle and sprayed places where he goes but I really doubt that is very thorough or effective. The Panacur seemed to work for Kato. He is putting on weight again and we will do another fecal test soon to be sure.


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## Six (Oct 16, 2011)

ponyfarm said:


> For what its worth, my adult dogs did not get giardia when the puppy brought it home. No way I could disinfect 15 acres!! Of course, I mopped the floors with Pinesol, but they were on their own for the rest of it.





TechieDog said:


> There is not really all that much you can do. I put some bleach in a spray bottle and sprayed places where he goes but I really doubt that is very thorough or effective. The Panacur seemed to work for Kato. He is putting on weight again and we will do another fecal test soon to be sure.


Thanks. He didn't have any symptoms, no problems with food, diarrhea or anything. This came as a surprise and I'm hoping to get it over with as soon as possible.


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## katdog5911 (Sep 24, 2011)

I was reading how the dog should be bathed when diagnosed with giardia. My question is how often? And how often does the bedding need to be disinfected? And the floor? I have done all of the above but not every day.


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## bocron (Mar 15, 2009)

msvette2u said:


> As for the SD canned i/d, it's actually fairly good to have on hand for stomach upsets. You could return some of it (maybe half) but I would recommend keeping the dog on it for a while.
> 
> It's main ingredients are turkey and pork, this is not the kibbles that are primarily corn.


I am not a S/D fan, but I also keep a half dozen cans of ID in the kennel. If I have a boarding dog with tummy issues, I start with fasting, then white rice, then white rice mixed with food. If this doesn't clear it up, I will feed i/d mixed into white rice especially if I feel like the dog can't afford to drop any weight. (not very common I might add).
So while I would not want a dog on it continuously, it does have it's place.


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