Giardia still problematic in 2016?

[Paul & Ziggy]

Greetings Manor Lake owners! I just got my puppy a little over 2 months ago and at his very first vet exam they informed me he was positive for Giardia. We treated with Panacur, waited a period for it to clear, but retested and he still had it. Did a second course of Panacur and Metronidazole (I hadn't yet read the forums here discouraging that drug!) and though it's been a few weeks he still has soft stools. He has not had regular stools since we got him. :(

I did see there were problems discussed in this group back in late 2013 with puppies having antibiotic resistant strain of Giardia. I still need to read the discussion in detail and review treatment options with my vet. But I'm starting this new discussion since I'd just like to find out if anyone else has been having problems more recently. The previous discussion ended nearly 2.5 years ago and there are no more reports about problems at least within the Manor Lakes group. (Is there a reason there have been no new discussions started at all on any topic since 2013?)

Anyone else having recent problems and any quick tips on what treatment worked for you?

Best wishes!

[Cynthia, Elvis & Pink]

Hi Paul - I was one of the original posters back in 2012/13.  It took about 6 months of panacur to get rid of the giardia - my vet didn't want to give Metronidazole because of problems it can cause later in life.

Do you know if the giardia is causing the stool problem or could it be something else like food?  My goldendoodle is very sensitive to certain foods.  That being said, Pink (the Manor Lake ALD) has no food allergies and other than the giardia, has been a very healthy dog.  She also has not had a recurrence of giardia since the first six month but I am religious about not allowing her to drink out of puddles, etc.

[Paul & Ziggy]

Hi Cynthia, thanks for the response. I did read your other posts where it sounds like you were generally doing the Panacur 2 weeks on, 1 week off for several months. Would that still be your recommendation or have you since learned / heard of other better recommendations? I'll review with my vet if they also suggest this course. They had already mentioned it's also possibly a food issue... but at least initially they want me to try the Probiotic for a week in case the Giardia is already gone and we're now just seeing the effects of Metro ruining his intestinal bacteria. 

It's also possible that the Giardia is now just prevalent in our backyard and he's reinfecting himself!? I'll ask vet about that as well.

Thanks!

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

I know many ML owners and most of them have not had an issues with giardia.  I purchased from ML because they had excellent breeding stock.  That being said our second doodle from ML, did come home with giardia.  I heard via the grapevine ML had an outbreak of giardia and when I was making arrangement to pick up Beau, Kim wanted to keep him another 2 weeks.  When I got him home and took him in for wellness check, they tested for Giardia and he was positive. Beau went through two rounds of panacur and I was over the top on cleanup and sterilizing the lawn after each incident.  When Beau was retested, I also had our older doodle tested to just to make sure there was no problem.  It does not surprise me that they had an outbreak of giardia this last winter was off the charts mild and I doubt they got a freeze which did not help.  When I told Kim about giardia - she did offer to pay our vet expenses.  I do believe she is a good breeder and has excellent breeding stock and I know she would stand behind the two year health guarantee. If I were to get a third puppy, I would still purchase from ML.  Both of my doodles are extremely healthy and they have the exact body conformation I was looking for in a doodle.  Paul - welcome to the group, I hope Ziggy is giardia free soon.  He is a darling doodle.

[Paul & Ziggy]

Thanks Linda! Glad to hear your overall positive take on ML. I do love my puppy's personality, smarts and stunning looks. It's just super annoying to have to deal with scooping up soft stools everywhere we go. :)

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Oh I hear you - believe me!  Hang in there.  

[Fitz & Henry]

Well it just shows you that the Internet lives on and on... Yes, we had a very very difficult virulent giardia strain to contend with, it took us 9 solid months of treating our dog to clear him. The vets were perplexed and frustrated and they sent us to a specialty center and they too were stunned that we couldn't kill it off.... But eventually we did. ManorLake finally did the right thing and paid for all my vet bills. I am now in a doodle site on FB and there are many others who have gotten puppies from ML with giardia. Kim is very aware of this issue, and she needs to clean it up. That being said... Here I am and my dog is going to be 3 in April, and he is the best dog I have ever had and I couldn't love him more. So I would say that Kim makes beautiful dogs, but she really needs to eradicate this problem... Clean her location and treat every one of her animals. Keep trying... Be patient... This too will pass. But stay on them they should be paying for treatment.
Giardia can happen and does sometimes happen but it should not be a constant issue and year after year I get texts and emails regarding this issue and this breeder.

[Paul & Ziggy]

Appreciate the response and encouragement. As I was tracking down your historical posts detailing your saga the last I found was your note on Jan 13, 2014 which describes the next few options you planned to try:

"...my vet has decided we will hit him with a ton of probiotics, lactic acid yeast, Lact-Enz, Gastrex, and another dewormer. He hasnt had any meds since late October.

Since his blood tests came back that there is no immuno issue we are going to try and pump up he immune system and see if he is able to fight the Giardia now that he is getting older and bigger. Henry was 9 months on Jan 4th. Soooo we shall see.... If this doesn't work, then endoscopy is in his future and we will try something else...."

After that cliffhanger I couldn't find any later follow-up / conclusion. :) Can you advise what you feel finally did the trick? I saw other discussions describing successive Panacur treatment cycles of two weeks on, one week off. Did you find that to be effective? I will also review with my vet all these ideas. 

Thanks again for your help!!