Giardia Update

[CarrotTheFrenchie]

I'm so depressed. We just found out that Carrot STILL has Giardia. I'm at my wits end! This was our FOURTH ROUND OF TREATMENT. I'm not sure what else to do. I pick up her poo immediately and douse the spot with Clorox spray. I was her bedding and toys on a fairly consistent basis. I wipe poor Carrot's behind after every poo! Sigh. Plus, last time she was tested, the number was down to a 3. And now it's back up to 30!!!!! Wondering if it's the test they use? I called and confirmed that they use the ELISA test. I read somewhere that this test can come back positive for up to six months after dogs no longer have Giardia because the antigen is still in their bloodstream. Wondering if I should have them perform a float test? Anyone else have this experience? We've been on Metronidazole, Panacur, Drontal Plus and Flagyl. Sigh.

One sad mom.

 

[Honeys Owners]

So sorry to hear about Carrot still testing positive for Giardia. From what I've read the Metronidazole (Flagyl) twice daily and Panacur once daily for 5 days of each is still considered the best treatment and highly curative, so retreat again if needed. If Carrot isn't having any symptoms I wouldn't worry or retreat- I wouldn't even repeat that Elisa test for at least 6 months, and probably wouldn't bother with any testing for 6 months if Carrot isn't having symptoms. Make sure to give Carrot probiotics - Purina Fortiflora is what the vets recommend. I wouldn't put Carrot into any kennel or doggy daycare since that is where the dogs commonly pick up giardia. My dog and I only drink tap water that has been filtered through a counter top solid block carbon filter that is 0.5 microns. This will filter out all parasitic cysts in the water such as giardia.

 

[davidh]

Find a different vet, so you can get different meds. It should not take that long, even though it does take a long time, bit not as long as you have been messing with this.

 

[CarrotTheFrenchie]

I'm not sure getting different medications is the answer? I've tried them all.

 

[blushy]

Find a different vet, so you can get different meds. It should not take that long, even though it does take a long time, bit not as long as you have been messing with this.

I'm not sure getting different medications is the answer? I've tried them all.

I treated my dog for 6 months for giardiasis. All tests came back positive, the 7th month he was giardiasis free.

The parasites can bury themselves into the lining of the intestines and re-appear without notice.

You don't need to switch meds, but you may need a milligram adjustment. Titan was 2.3 lbs when we started treatment, we treated him for a 5 lb dog. Then as he got bigger we adjusted as necessary. Explore that option?

It's super annoying and frustrating, I personally understand, but I would treat until you get a negative. Titan was down to 12-14 and zoomed back up to 33+. It was extremely discouraging.

I ended up switching probiotics to a paste form, it was for probiotics/diarrhea, and it worked so much better than the forti flora. That seemed like complete trash compared to the tube!


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[CarrotTheFrenchie]

Blushy- it's comforting to know you had a similar situation and got through it! I just want to cry. And in fact I did at the vet's office! Slightly embarrassing but I think I'm just so frustrated! Especially because I can't figure out how she's reinfecting herself. And I just feel like her digestive system is being ruined. ��
I just started her on the following medication- Six days of Panacur (2 grams) and 7-10 days of Flagyl. They also finally have me a probiotic: Vetri-Science. Have you heard of this one? Chewables. I'm also back to feeding her chicken and rice since she had diarrhea over the weekend (not sure it was the giardia - she also swallowed a piece of a tennis ball!)
I'm also still giving her pumpkin at every meal. My yard looks like a war zone between picking of clumps of grass where she's poo'd and then also dousing those spots with Clorox!
Question- can a dog get giardia through sniifing grass? I swear my dog is part greyhound with her nose to the ground or sniffing up grass whenever she's outside. If she can reinfect herself in this way, we have ZERO chance to get rid of it.
And do you happen to have the name of the tube probiotic?

 

[blushy]

Blushy- it's comforting to know you had a similar situation and got through it! I just want to cry. And in fact I did at the vet's office! Slightly embarrassing but I think I'm just so frustrated! Especially because I can't figure out how she's reinfecting herself. And I just feel like her digestive system is being ruined. ��
I just started her on the following medication- Six days of Panacur (2 grams) and 7-10 days of Flagyl. They also finally have me a probiotic: Vetri-Science. Have you heard of this one? Chewables. I'm also back to feeding her chicken and rice since she had diarrhea over the weekend (not sure it was the giardia - she also swallowed a piece of a tennis ball!)
I'm also still giving her pumpkin at every meal. My yard looks like a war zone between picking of clumps of grass where she's poo'd and then also dousing those spots with Clorox!
Question- can a dog get giardia through sniifing grass? I swear my dog is part greyhound with her nose to the ground or sniffing up grass whenever she's outside. If she can reinfect herself in this way, we have ZERO chance to get rid of it.
And do you happen to have the name of the tube probiotic?

I'm not sure if the type of giardia animals get is a type you can reinfect with sniffing.

She's most likely not re-infecting herself, it's probably just multiplying... or she has a worse case than you think. Our vet told us Titan's was one of the worst cases she's seen, and his leveled out around 30+ most of the time (sometimes we did fecal exams 2-3 times in a month).

Just keep doing what you're doing... unless you feel you want a different type of test, which I heard none can detect giardia properly beside one. We had a different vet who told us Titan didn't have giardia, it almost killed him. So I'd just keep fighting it off.

Pro-Pectalin is the probiotic tube.



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[Squishy Walnuts]

I'm so sorry you're going through this! Uma had giardia but it went away after the first bout of meds. [MENTION=894]blushy[/MENTION] is our giardia expert.

 

[blushy]

I'm so sorry your going through this! Uma had giardia but it went away after the first bout of meds. [MENTION=894]blushy[/MENTION] is our giardia expert.

I wish I wasn't! [emoji23]


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[Honeys Owners]

I'm not surprised the pro pectalin gel worked better since it has kaolin and pectin ( same as kaopectate ) to adsorb water in the colon and enterococcus faecium to repopulate gut flora destroyed by the flagyl.

 

[blushy]

Any new news [MENTION=2124]CarrotTheFrenchie[/MENTION] ?


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[Mavis]

Good luck; I'm so sorry about Carrot's issue. With all you are doing, I just know she will lick this. You are an excellent mommy.

This forum is a well spring of information. Excellent advice.

 

[CarrotTheFrenchie]

Any new news [MENTION=2124]CarrotTheFrenchie[/MENTION] ?


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So sorry for my late reply! I've been traveling quite a bit. Here's the update. After our fifth round of giardia treatment and yet another positive test (went from 3 back to 30!) my vet consulted a parasite expert who told us to stop the medication. That at this point her immune system should take over and it was possible that the giardia just hadn't cleared her system yet. They said unless she showed clinical symptoms we should stop all medication and test her in six months. I am pleased to say her poops have been great since then so we're off the medication. Only slight set back happened a few weeks ago when she ate a piece of another dogs poo before I could stop her. Sigh. I actually grabbed another piece of the random dog poo and had it tested. I was so freaked out. Turns out the random poo tested positive for worms and not giardia. Sad that I was relieved about the worm diagnosis but that seems so much easier to treat ( preventatively) than the dreaded giardia !! �� So, fingers crossed she's doing well right now! Thank you for asking!

 

[Mavis]

Sounds like all of your hard work and care has paid off. So happy for you. That is such a relief. I can totally relate about being ecstatic about regular poops. When Bambi's poops are off, I'm a wreck.

I thought heartworm medication might work with fecal worms as well, however, don't quote me. Maybe someone else can chime in.

 

[Honeys Owners]

I think Milbemax = Interceptor Spectrum will hit every worm including heartworm. I gave it once to my dog and she vomited a bit after, so if you try it, make sure you give some food, then the supposedly tasty chew, then the rest of her food. Hopefully it won't make her vomit on a full stomach.

 

[CarrotTheFrenchie]

I think Milbemax = Interceptor Spectrum will hit every worm including heartworm. I gave it once to my dog and she vomited a bit after, so if you try it, make sure you give some food, then the supposedly tasty chew, then the rest of her food. Hopefully it won't make her vomit on a full stomach.

They gave me Drontal Plus again. Two doses taken 14 days apart. I hate Drontal plus. She has a bad reaction to it every time. Makes her anxious and high strung.

 

[Honeys Owners]

That is a good medication for all types of worms, but you still are going to need heartworm prevention. If you live in a cold climate you don't need heartworm prevention in winter. Some natural therapy magazines say you only need to give heartworm prevention every 3 months, but in that case you have to make sure your dog gets all the drug (ie. not thrown up ) since there's no drug the next month.