Oliver has giardia - and I have a few questions

[LarryL]

I thought I'd move this out of the food group and start a new thread as it is no longer food related.

Oliver is a little over 3 months and has been with us for two and a half weeks.
A day after changing food he had diarrhea - after getting a stool sample to the vet, he tested positive for giardia.

We have been adding a bit of mashed sweet potato to his food to firm him up a bit.

The vets office initially gave me metro, but thanks to DK I requested Panacur instead.
They gave me 3 little baggies of powder - a 3 day supply.

Question 1: I know I'm supposed to give a probiotic either two hours before or after he takes his meds. Yesterday we bought all natural fage Greek yogurt - is this a probiotic? Or is yogurt & probiotic not the same?

2: how often should we give him yogurt? Just once a day before or after his meds??

3: I asked the guy at the vets office if in a week or two I should give another stool sample, but he said he would just take more Panacur in two weeks. This sounded weird to me as I dont want to give him more meds than necessary - am I right for thinking that?

4: as far as cleaning, I know to be diligent with his poop cleaning. Is the only way he can reinfect himself by eating licking his poop???

5: he just got his booster shot yesterday - should I avoid taking him outside until this passes?

6: how cantageous is he to other pups? We have a puppy socialization class on Wednesday that I now think I should cancel?

Lastly, I will take as much advice & recommendations as possible!

Thanks

[Rose Coward]

I'm sure that you're veterinarian should be able to provide you the answers to these questions.  Probiotics can come in many forms, yogurt, kefir, foods that have been preserved through fermentation like cabbage, beets etc.  But they also come as tablets which might be a better option.  As in some dogs dairy products like yogurt can also cause diarrhea.   

[Sam, Risa and Archie]

Kefir is a really good probiotic, but I have to say, I just started giving Archie Kefir while he has a bad tummy bug and the Kefir made his stool looser.  Took the Kefir away the past 2 days and his stools have been much firmer.  

Maybe because I introduced it too quickly? But I am going to hold off on Kefir until I can slowly work it back into Archie's diet....

[F, Calla & Luca]

Some dogs do not tolerate dairy well.

[Rose Coward]

I also wanted to offer my condolences, that must be very hard on you to learn your sweet little one is ill.  I do wish you all the best with him and a speedy recovery.   :(

[Brittney & Cally]

You can give the yogurt until you get a good probiotic, Proviable DC is recommended. As long as the yogurt is plain non fat it should be okay. Many who have gone through this do the paper plate method of catching the poop so that it is one less thing to not have to clean and worry about. I am not sure about the meds but I am sure someone will step in. The probiotic can be given at anytime as long as there is two hours between the meds, same goes for yogurt.

[Brittney & Cally]

You also need to clean if I remember correctly anything he has come in contact with until this has passed. I would definitely not take him tot the puppy class. You can give the yogurt more than once. If he has kings you can do frozen yogurt kings. I usually put a carrot through the bottom to plug it up so it does not leak.

[LarryL]

Thanks for the good advice so far.....

Regarding cleaning up anything he has come in contact with, isn't giardia passed thru poop?
Am I to clean everything and everywhere he has pooped - or everything he has come in contact with in general??????
(Which would pretty much be everything in my house)

And about the probiotic - I was only given 3 days of meds. I did the first dose today - is provable DC only used with the meds (like two hours after) or do I keep giving it to him even after he is done with his meds??

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

I found this online:

A dog becomes infected with Giardia when it swallows the cyst stage of the parasite. In susceptible dogs, once the cyst passes into the dog's intestines; it goes through transformation to the trophozoite or feeding form and attaches to the intestinal wall to feed. If sufficient numbers are present, clinical signs of damage to the intestinal wall will develop. Trophozoites reproduce by dividing, and some transform into the cystic form. Eventually, the dog passes cysts in its stool.

"Giardiasis can be transmitted by eating or sniffing the cysts from contaminated ground, or by drinking contaminated water."

These cysts are immediately able to infect another animal. Giardiasis can be transmitted by eating or sniffing the cysts from contaminated ground, or by drinking contaminated water.

[Brittney & Cally]

I think people usually clean the bedding and toys (that you can clean) and stuff like that and definitely clean where he has pooped, with preferably bleach! I would give it for like a week after the meds as well as during the time! You can order it on chewy to get it here quickly and give the yogurt until then. Since I have not been through it my advice is very limited, check out the health group and the main forum and search Giardia for other post that may have some more advice!

[Pam Thomas]

I have hard wood floors, no bleach-what else can you use?

[Jill, Woody & Maxi]

It is the actual cyst that passes through the dog,..here is an article with good information

http://www.vcahospitals.com/main/pet-health-information/article/ani...

We cleaned everything..bedding, paws and butt.  We were also over cautious, b/c we did not want our other dog to get it..we were lucky :)

We had to go through 2 courses of treatment..I believe both were for 5 or 7 days each..We also give a probiotic all the time, not just during the course of treatment.  The difference between yogurt and a probiotic pill is the number of CFU's..basically the good bacteria..The yogurt we give the dogs has 1.9 billion per 8 oz. and Proviable DC has 5 billion CFU per capsule. Every night as a "snack" we give each dog a few spoonfuls of yogurt..I would say close to 2-4 tablespoons..and also, their probiotic..we use proviable...And like others have said, be sure to give Panacur and the probiotic (whether yogurt or pill) at least 2 hrs apart.

[LarryL]

Thanks,

From where does it pass tho?
Like is it in his urine? Is it in his saliva? Or just his poop?

We are also cleaning his butt, paws, and disinfected all the floors in the house with bleach...but how would it be on his toys for example?


So the consensus is that 3 days is not enough treatment??

Lastly, the pills - I can just add it to his diet and should give it for life?