Good disinfectant / cleaning advice to get rid of traces of giardia

[Discussing Labradoodles & Goldendoodles]

Noah has giardia :-(

We went to the vet tonight for some vaccinations and they ran a stool sample. They ran it right there and it tested positive for a very mild case of giardia within seconds. They'll let me know the full results tomorrow. I hope he doesn't have anything else! I'm completely paranoid that Sherlock or I will get it also.

When I came home tonight, there was poo all over Noah and most of the apartment. It looked like he had rolled around in it, it was even on the walls!!!!?? I had to throw out a couple of toys because the poo was on them. It even got on Sherlock's FAVORITE toy: his teddy bear. He is literally obsessed with this bear. There was no way I was throwing it away, so I spent about 15 minutes washing and scrubbing it with soap. I even used the hair dryer to dry it.

I'm paranoid that there are traces of giardia in my apartment now. I always use Nature's Miracle whenever Noah has an accident, but is this a disinfectant? I wish I could spray lysol over everything right now, but it's too dangerous because one of the dogs could inhale the fumes. What are some good dog-friendly disinfectants?

[Maya]

Jane, so it was a routine test... Have you noticed extra soft and light-colored stool?

I went to the link posted in this discussion, just to find out what giardia is, and now I am scared - Cassie has soft, yellow stools. I haven't been able to figure out why she has it on and off, sometimes both hard and extra soft in one go! The vet ran the initial tests they do when they get vaccines, but I don't know if the giardia test IS a routine test. She just told me Cassie tested negative for worms, but if she continues with the soft stools after a while, to go for more tests (she said that the cause might be just the new house and the new food, so to give it some time). I've been adding rice to her food for the last 2 weeks at least, and it only started looking better the last couple of days.

So, anyway - have you noticed any symptoms with Noah? They mention not only the look of the poop, but other symptoms, e.g. fatigue...

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Poor Noah - I hope he feels better soon.

[Noble Vestal Labradoodles]

giardia is everywhere, no matter how much you disinfect it is there. You leave and come home and it is on your shoes.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Oh, Jane, I'm so sorry about Noah. We just went through this with Guinness. I got some great advice here on Doodle Kisses. Hopefully Noah will just have a mild case. Guinness had it pretty bad...he was very sick for three days. He just slept all the time and didn't eat. After that the antibiotics kicked in and he started to feel better. Now he's totally back to normal. As a matter of fact, right now he has a bad case of the zoomies and is running like a lunatic up and down the stairs to get me attention - he wants me off of Doodle Kisses and playing with him. I did use Nature's Miracle on the carpets and had them professionally steam cleaned. I used disinfectant on the hardwood. Maybe it doesn't remove all the cysts, but it made me feel better. I also threw away the toys that couldn't be washed, and cleaned everything else. I was obsessed. Just thinking of the parasites made me sick. I think I was really over the top. My vet also changed his diet temporarily, and I believe that helped him. Anyway, keep your chin up. I do feel your pain.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Oh, I'm happy to hear that!

[Nicole Hamilton]

I'm happy to hear that Noah and Sherlock were fine after treatment.  A customer recommended this site after I explained tips for cleaning and getting rid of giardia.  I agree with you all, it's very hard to get rid of because it's contracted most often through food and water bowls that have been contaminated with feces.  And, since loose stool is a common symptom, there's usually a lot of feces spread everywhere.

 

We work with professional facilities so we offer boot baths (mats to put disinfectant solution) to reduce the risk of tracking it on your shoes (as mentioned above).  Still, the best way to get rid of it entirely is to clean, clean, clean. A very detailed cleaning regimen is mandatory.

 

Enzyme cleaners like Nature's Miracle don't disinfect although they do eat away at the bacteria.  Concentrated disinfectant work best but you must check to be sure that they have a very near neutral pH so there's no risk of damaging your floor, carpet, bedding or other materials.

 

Best of luck everyone, I'm glad to have been pointed here.  I know that lots of people are faced with giardia and will come across such inspiring stories as you have here.