EmD, MD
18th March 2005, 06:47 PM
After 2 days of liquid poo, we took Penny to the doctor with a couple of stool samples we collected. Two dogs in our area have had Giardia infections (protozoan that lives in water and BMs) so we asked the doctor about that. The test came back positive! Thankfully she had already started on the antibiotics and was already improving by the time we got the results.
If your dog has diarrhea of unknown origin, ask your vet to check for this bug; it's a special test that is not done as part of the routine ova & parasite stool examination. The treatment is Flagyl (metronidazole) plus a de-wormer, as the low-dose Flagyl that is safe for dogs is not sufficient to eradicate the bug.
Since we got our results I have heard of yet one more dog afflicted with Giardia, just a block away from us!
Also be aware that humans can be infected as well. The classic scenario is when someone drinks from a contaminated stream while camping. Who knew it would show up on the Manhattan sidewalks during the spring thaw! :eek:
If your dog has diarrhea of unknown origin, ask your vet to check for this bug; it's a special test that is not done as part of the routine ova & parasite stool examination. The treatment is Flagyl (metronidazole) plus a de-wormer, as the low-dose Flagyl that is safe for dogs is not sufficient to eradicate the bug.
Since we got our results I have heard of yet one more dog afflicted with Giardia, just a block away from us!
Also be aware that humans can be infected as well. The classic scenario is when someone drinks from a contaminated stream while camping. Who knew it would show up on the Manhattan sidewalks during the spring thaw! :eek: