shedding and Giardiasis

[Nancy Sweet]

My 4 month old goldendoodle is shedding like crazy!!! And to make matters worse he has Giardiasis. I am in the process of disinfecting my house. I am very unhappy. Has anyone been through this?

[Noble Vestal Labradoodles]

WHAT that is why too much... really that is overkill and ineffective.

Yes you will be told you can get it and it can live in the ground and on and on and on but bathing your pup daily will not keep him clean of it. The only thing that kills it is bleach, ammonia, and fire (there are some special cleaners and things that kennels use) but they are not safe to use on your pup... Bathing will NOT wash it off your dog.

[Adina P]

Okay, I can see how soap and water won't KILL giardia. But washing removes particles that might otherwise remain on a dog's behind. If my pup had Giardia...I'd probably wash his behind daily too. Soap doesn't 'kill' something like that, but soap and water effectively remove MORE large particles of just about everything. It wouldn't cure the giardia, but can reduce the viral load on his hiney to reduce the spreading around the house. I suppose we'd need a study to show that it makes a significant difference...but I'd do it just in case. Just like hand washing doesn't "kill" bacteria and viruses, but it helps remove the load of germs on one's hands. At least humans wear underwear and pants to keep their butt germs off of shared household items ;-) But when a doggy booty is OUT THERE uncovered...why not wash it?

[Nancy Sweet]

My vet told me bathe him daily for six days. I just want to do whatever I need to do, to help him get over this. I am getting so much different info on what to do and what not to do, I am really confused. I just hope the medication will work.

[Adina P]

I merely said "regular" bathing. Not daily bathing or any such thing. I figure if show dogs can be bathed as often as they are ... doodles will do fine too. But what exactly IS the definition of "overbathing"? Serious question. I've heard all sorts of general guidelines, but nothing with evidence based references.

[Noble Vestal Labradoodles]

UM.... yea if I were a germaphobe but I guess I am not. A simple wipe of the bum with a baby wipe would be sufficient unless the pup is rolling in poo it doesnt need a daily bath.

There is no scientific to support daily bathing to kill giardia but even a wise vet will tell you not to over bathe your dog especially if you have allergies to dander!

I guess anyone can dispute anything saying there is no scientific bla bla bla...

Giardia, coccidia... all of those things are just part of having a dog and they and their owners will live through it, meds alone will take care of, no need to live in a bubble or act crazy.

[Adina P]

LOL...yeah I AM a bit of a germaphobe ;-) -- no denying that. I am not typically worried about getting any diseases from my dogs, but, I also just like having dogs that feel clean (and I don't bathe them that often...too hard to bend over a tub with a big belly nowadays).

Besides when I was doing therapy visits with Rosco I HAD to bathe him frequently. Delta Society requires a bath within the last 24 hours of a visit unless the facility approves otherwise. Since we did twice a week visits I couldn't do it that often...didn't seem reasonable, so since both facilities we visited weren't too picky he ended up getting a bath every 1.5 weeks or so.

What I'm looking for (and it may or may not exist) is some kind of research that supports a certain frequency of bathing. If there isn't anything like that then aren't we all just guessing on what "too frequent" really means? Your guess, my guess, vet A's guess...well they are all just opinion and personal preference without some kind of backing to say "YES...dogs need X number of weeks/days between baths to accomplish ABC skin rejuvenation and without that they tend to have EFG symptoms."

I lose oils in my scalp when I wash my hair, and oils in my skin when I bathe too...but that doesn't mean I avoid washing my hair and skin for weeks. So I'm sure that there is some level of stripping of oils that's not truly damaging...just temporarily drying. The oils DO come back.

I have never had to deal with Giardia...but since I know others on here and other forums who had a VERY hard time getting rid of it despite meds ... I don't see how a daily BUM wash would hurt. Two of my dogs' bums tend to be pretty clean mostly. Rosco's...well...let's just say that quite often...a mere baby wipe over his bum is an exercise in futility. He NEEDS a good scrubbing with soap and water or nothing back there is coming off unless I shave it off =) A bum wash and living in a bubble are worlds apart to me.

[F, Calla & Luca]

There is always a study and always something related on internet. How did I live without it. My kids always joke that about 17 years ago I was still saying "Who needs a computer, not me." This study is scientific, yet totally meaningless, especially for our sweet smelling doodles. Probably they used Shar-Peis! Sorry my Japanese hasn't progressed beyond Sayonara.
Bathing Frequency in Dogs

[Adina P]

I like it! It confirmed my suspicion that the skins oils/etc are replenished within 3 days or so. I suspected this because Frontline requires the oil glands to distribute it and the package says it should be applied 2-3 days after or before a bath. Hence my thinking it probably takes that long for the oil glands to get the job done after bathing. Of course it is one study, but it makes sense to me. It seems that it would be rather strange for an otherwise healthy dog to take WEEKS to replenish its oils, etc.

What google terms did you search for?

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

My dog never had Giardia, but my son did. He was only 4-years old. A tiny guy with a violent stomach ailment. It was traumatic. I am so sorry. The medicine will help in no time, but for now I am sure it creepy for you to deal with this.

[Caroline]

I'm sure the vet told you this, but giardia is suspected to be a zoonotic infection, that can be transmitted between species : dog to human and vice versa, so hand washing after handling & especially before eating is recommended. Thankfully we haven't had it, but I used to volunteer in a kennel and remember they had it once. It was some time ago now, so can't remember all the precautions sorry...think they were treated with metronidazole/ flagyll and or panacur. After treatment some were put on a supplement to replace healthy gut bacteria following antibiotics, which is also supposed to help firm up the stool. Canned pumpkin (as already recommended), works well
too.
Apparently there is a vaccine, but reading the info online, it doesn't help once they are already infected.
Hope it clears soon

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I had a foster with giardia; make sure you wear rubber gloves when cleaning up poop, and spray the areas with a solution of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water afterwards. Giardia spores can over-winter if not killed.
The most common cause of giardia is drinking standing water...puddles, etc.
Sorry you're dealing with this, I know how exhausting it can be.

[Nancy Sweet]

I have been picking up the poop with the poop bags, so I am not touching it. Is that okay? Also, will the bleach solutions kill my grass? Not a big deal, just have to warn my husband if it does, he spends a lot of time on our yard.