Labradoodle & Goldendoodle Forum
Giardia
Hello fellow Doodle lovers! My 11 week old f1b Goldendoodle puppy Finley has tested positive for Giardia. He is on day 6 of Penacur and he still has a lack of appetite. I phoned the vet for her opinion on dosage today.
My question to you all is i have been making homemade dog food to mix with grain free kibble. (ie. ground turkey, veg, rice) and he STILL barely eats it all. His fur makes him look bigger than he really i can still feel his ribs when i pet him. It doesnt seem like hes holding any weight and i am unsure if this is associated with Giardia. I used an online calculator of kCals on how much food to give him for proper nutrient requirements so i dont think i am underfeeding him. His appetite isn't normal. He has the calmest demeaner and is happy when hes awake in puppy mode but sleeps a lottttt. i read its normal for puppies to sleep 15-20 hours per day? Any input would be greatly appreciated xo
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle on
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I'm sorry that your pup is ill.
I can tell you that it's unlikely that his appetite issues are related to the giardia. I've seen dogs with severe giardia who have ravenous appetites.
How many times per day are you feeding him? If it's only twice, it might help to switch him to three feedings per day. Puppies under 4 months usually do better on 3 feedings per day, rather than 2, as they often can't eat that much at one time, especially smaller pups.
I would talk to the vet about his weight/body condition and about the amount he's sleeping. Very young puppies do sleep a lot, but 20 hours out of 24 seems excessive to me. As for feeling his ribs, you should be able to feel the ribs on any dog; when you can't, that means they're actually overweight. And Poodles are usually very lean dogs, so since your guy is 75% Poodle, it might be that he just favors his Poodle heritage. Your vet is the best judge of that. :)
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Permalink Reply by Allie on
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i am feeding in 3 times a day, 1/2 cup and hes not finsihing it all...hes smart already...eating the fresh food instead of the kibble. I may try to switch/ introduce to another grain free kibble to mix in with homemade food, was thinking fromm salmon flavor to help with his coat
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I would not change his food right now; wait until the giardia is completely gone, just in case a new food doesn't agree with him and causes some digestive issues, and you want to be able to know that it's due to the food change and not giardia.
Of course he's eating the fresh food and not the kibble, lol. I'd stop the fresh food; no kibble is really going to appeal to him if there's homemade food available. :) The Food Group is filled with discussions about picky-eater doodles who got that way because their owners started changing foods, adding toppers, adding fresh food, etc in attempts to get them to eat. It's a slippery slope, and I'd avoid starting down it at such an early age if possible.
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My favorite discussion on this topic. It's fun reading, but it's also a cautionary tale of what happen if you start down that path: http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/thefoodgroup/forum/topics/an-ode-...
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he loves the homemade ground turkey, veg, rice mix i make him; i add that to the kibble. so this SOJOS brand premade is probably more convenient?
thanks for the advice i will stop mixing up his meals to see what he likes best and stick to kibble and homemade protein mix for now until giardia is completed; the vet phoned back and said to add wet dog food to the mix...i didnt leave in the message to her that i am already mixing ground turkey in it
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Permalink Reply by Teresa on
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Hi Allie! We also have a new (10 week) puppy that was diagnosed with Giardia at her 8 weeks check up. We have been on panacur and an antibiotic. Yesterday was her last day of treatment, I deep cleaned the house all day and gave her a good long bath. Praying when we retest her stool it's negative.
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yes! aw where did you get your puppy; mine was from Beyond Bliss Doodles in Upstate NY; Nancy is a fabulous breeder soooo passionate and educational too shes been a great help. I love this site! its nice to see doodle loves come together with advice. i read in a previous post to use a probiotic called Proviable; he eats them up in his pill pocket
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