New puppy…with giardia

First, let me introduce our new addition, Maxi..she is an 9 week old GSD. We picked her up last Friday. The breeder called me on Monday to tell me that one of the puppies has giardia. We took Maxi to the vet that day anyways for her checkup (for pet insurance) and fecal…and behold, the next day, the vet called with the results…giardia. Her poop (until last night) has been solid, which is why I am so shocked with this diagnosis..now it has turned to soft serve, and she woke us up every 2 hours last night (thankfully) to go out…where before, she was pooping about every 4 hrs, and able to hold it throughout the night. I have been VERY diligent with cleaning her bottom, all the dog beds, toys and having her and Woody poop in separate areas of the yard..on leash. I was reading through past posts, and I am going to use Jane's paper plate method, so it doesn't touch the grass. Also, does anyone know if giardia cysts can survive in freezing temps? I keep reading about moist environments...

I am terrified b/c of what we went through with Woody…luckily with the knowledge I have from DK, I am giving Maxi IFlora along with the Panacur (liquid form) that the vet prescribed (5 day treatment)…so hopefully this giardia does not have lasting effects on her GI system. She is on Eukanuba LBP, my plan was to keep her on this until 10-12 weeks old, then switch to Acana..but now, I am going to hold off until we get things squared away. My question is,now with her soft stools, should I stop Eukanuba and feed her chicken and sweet potatoes?

Thank you in advance

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Permalink Reply by Jill, Woody & Maxi on December 5, 2013 at 3:45pm

Ok, I may do that tomorrow..bring in his fecal..Maxi is 100% on Acana Wild Prarie..and doing great on it! solid poop, about 4 times a day, and Iflora at night. And we give her boiled chicken for training treats.

Permalink Reply by Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle on December 5, 2013 at 3:55pm

Wow, this is a tough one. It doesn't seem like either of them needs to be treated.

Jill, can you ask if they are doing a fecal flotation test or an ELISA test (also called a "snap test") ? The latter measures giardia antigens and you can have false positives for any dog who has had giardia. The float test is more accurate and actually tests for the presence of giardia cysts. If your vet is using the antigen test, this may sound crazy, but I don't know if i would treat either one of them.

Permalink Reply by Jill, Woody & Maxi on December 5, 2013 at 5:24pm

Thank you!! I will call them first thing in the morning and find out which test..I checked my bill, but it doesn't give me any detail..it just says fecal. If in fact it is a snap/ELISA test, should I say I want the float done before treating? Thank you again so much for everything...

Permalink Reply by Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle on December 5, 2013 at 5:39pm

It's really hard for me to advise you not to treat a puppy with a positive giardia test. I'm really not sure what to do. Panacur is pretty safe, but I don't think I'd treat Woody. Maybe explain to the vet your concerns and the fact that both dogs are having good poop and showing no signs of giardia, and ask if it's possible that Maxi had a false positive? And if there is any risk in postponing treatment?

Permalink Reply by Jill, Woody & Maxi on December 6, 2013 at 12:00pm

Ok, so they send the fecal out to a lab, and run both the float and ELISA test..Maxi tested negative to ova and cysts, and positive on the ELISA test. I bought Panacur for her, but declined for Woody..she will be on a 7 day treatment…when I bring her stool sample back in one month, I will bring Woody's too..and test it to be on the safe side. What do you think about the test results Karen?

Permalink Reply by Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle on December 6, 2013 at 12:29pm

I think she doesn't have active giardia any more, and you are probably in the clear on both of them. The positive results on the ELISA test were just antibodies, which makes sense because she did have giardia. The Panacur is probably not necessary, but won't hurt her and best to be on the safe side.

Permalink Reply by Jill, Woody & Maxi on December 6, 2013 at 6:24pm

Thank you again..I will let you know how things go!!!

Permalink Reply by Jill, Woody & Maxi on January 8, 2014 at 12:58pm

Just wanted to update..after two rounds of panacur, Maxi's fecal came back negative for giardia!! And all is going well on Acana WP...and after a few more bags, we will start to rotate through the flavors...Thank you for your help!

Love,

Jill, Woody and Maxi