Giardia - need information

[Estie]

Cassy's dog pal, Barkley, the malmute, has giardia. We walk together on the same dog trails. but his owner thinks he got it from drinking water in the canal (comes from the mtns). Cassy drinks the water sometimes (not very much), she is in and out of the lake that we walk around, she is in and out of the canal (which is flowing), she eats poop when I can't catch her fast enough, and now I'm worried about all this and her getting giardia. I just can't keep her in the house for the rest of her life!! Is diahrrea the only symptom?? She doesn't have any diahrrea. (spelling isn't correct !!) I also read that if they can't gain weight (she's started gaining and now is on a little reduction program), if they eat grass - which she does, that can also be a sign of giardia. And are some breeds more susceptible to this than another?? Is there something one can add to the dog's diet as a preventative??

We had our first springer for 13 years and I never worried about this, and she never had a problem. Barkley had giardia when he was a puppy, and has had it a couple times in his 3-yr-old life.

Paranoid in Colorado!!
Estie

[britishbandit]

Symptoms of Giardia can range from mild recurring diarrhea, (typically soft, light-colored stools) - explosive diarrhea in severe cases.
Can also cause weight loss, lethargic, mucus in the stool, and poor appetite. But these signs are also associated with other problems, so the only way to know for sure is to take a stool sample into your vet. You may need to do this more than once to diagnose it though, as the cysts aren't passed on every bowel movement.
I'd most certainly have your dog tested if you know he's been around a dog that has this. and it can also be passed to humans.

[sammy]

If your dog isn't sick , doesn't have diarrhea I wouldn't worry. Dogs deal better with intestinal bugs than we do - that's why they can eat a raw meat diet or feces and not get sick. If you think there's giardia in the water where you walk , you could just bring your own drinking water and keep the dog from driniking from the canal.

[rottielover]

Harley got it...It is not a biggie, But Harley got it from eating grass, not by drinking water. We brought a stool sample in and he was diagnosed, and put on antibiotics.

[KennelMom]

Giardia is a parasite that dogs - or humans - get from ingesting the organism...most often through contaminated water. The only way to prevent it is to keep your dog from drinking contaminated water.

In the grand scheme of things a dog can get sick from, I'd take giardia over pretty much everything else. Very easy to treat.

If you see symptoms, your vet should be able to do a fecal test for giardia....probably don't even need an appointment (at least ours wouldn't require it).

[Tiffany0204]

Gizmo had it when he was a puppy. It was the devil to get rid of! But the fact that he wasn't housetrained yet (as he was 10 weeks old!) he kept going to the bathroom and walking in it! Uuuugh, I don't miss those days.

It took around 3 rounds of antiboitics to get rid of it. He had really bad diharrea, it was bloody and mucous-y as well. I think it was hard to get rid of as well because he refused to take any sort of medication. Ended up having to try and punt it down the back of his throat. Poor thing.

It's easy to spread around too. Wash any floor surface with a bleach/water solution and if you're really wanting to put your mind at ease, take a stool sample to the doctor.