Add us to the giardia club! UPDATED 3-6: It's gone!

[Julie and Charlie]

After an icky Sunday of loose stools, and me sanitizing his entire elimination area with a diluted bleach solution, Charlie's fecal revealed giardia- thankfully he's not shedding cysts. No idea where he picked it up.

Due to the advice I've read here, I asked the vet about Metronidazole and Panacur, and insisted that she give both. 

My question: I need to continue sanitation practices. He is currently trained to eliminate on a bed of rocks that is easy to hose off. I can continue dumping buckets of bleach solution on this area, but I'd like to try one of those bleach product hose attachments. Has anyone here used such an item before? I don't have to worry about killing plants or grass. 

I could also think about catching the waste with a paper plate or newspapers, but disposal would be an issue, we only have garbage every two weeks around here.

Update 3-6-2013! Charlie tested negative yesterday/today and his bodily functions are consistent with that result- although he's still taking a probiotic and yogurt to help keep things humming along. Thank you DK people, especially Karen for the support. This was a tough couple of weeks around here with Charlie being excluded from daycare and the clean up. We made it!

[Julie and Charlie]

Thanks for the baby food suggestion, it worked. Hopefully it's still new enough tomorrow that his last dose goes down without incident.

Things are looking up tonight, his stool was, uh, less explosive and easier to catch with a paper bowl. (Gross, yeah?) And he's acting a little more like himself instead of a sick dog! This morning was possibly our low point. Hoping we can only go up from here!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Fingers and paws crossed!

[Julie and Charlie]

Charlie is better today, last dose of Panacur went down yesterday without incident. Metronidazole is going OK, and his poop is slightly harder- we're at soft-serve instead of liquid. It's a start!

What is the thinking about letting him out in public? ( a walk?) I've kept him inside and in the yard for the past week, and we're both going a little stir crazy. Should I wait until we have a clear fecal, which would be at least another 10-14 days? I know that I would be slightly peeved if someone brought a contagious dog out in public to spread it. But he's not actively pooping, and he's soaped up and rinsed off (paws and back end) each time.

[Julie and Charlie]

Giardia is gone, gone, gone! See original post update. We celebrated with a bite of cheeseburger for Charlie.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Yay!!!! Good riddance!