I took my dogs for their yearly checkup and shots last week and the fecal exam showed Toby had giardia. The vet put him on a 5 day treatment of Metroniazole. I was given a little information on giardia, but I wanted to know if anyone could tell me more about it. Toby has a good appetite and no diarrhea. Thank you in advance for any information that you could give me.
By Janus
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Hello,
Do you take your dogs swimming? Do they drink water from a stream/creek? There is a parasite that is in the water that can cause this to happen. Please watch them, thank Goodness it is treatable. Good luck.
I hope your vet mentioned to you that giardia can be passed along to humans too, from their dogs! Be vigilante about your hand washing!
As well as contracting Giardia from drinking stream or creek water, dogs can pick it up from stagnant groundwater , water bowls left outside overnight where other critters can pass along those invisible cysts, or by coming into contact with feces of another infected animal. That could mean the dog park, poop left along the road by a lazy dog owner that your dog decides to sniff, or even remnants of your own dog's infected feces in your own yard.
Our dog contracted it when she was about three months old; we went through all of the above and ruled everything out as the source of her infestation with it. Turned out that she was licking droppings from birds that came to our yard feeder--apparently they can carry it, too.
We got rid of the bird feeder altogether; the vet gave us the same meds your dog is on. Happy to report here that she's nearly four years old and her bout with Giardia is the only time she's ever been treated for an illness.
Your dog should be fine, just watch the standing water and feces from anything that walks, crawls or flies!
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