Please help - loose stools continue in spite of meds!

[Brewster's Mom]

Brewster has had loose stools and some diarrhea for several weeks now. He had/has no other symptoms and seemed just fine other than the poop issue. I took him to the vet who, after some testing, said he most likely had Giardia (slight case, thought he saw a few spores, but not a huge infestation) and gave us some meds. After the first dose things seemed to firm up nicely and were that way through the whole course of medicine. After the meds were gone, though, the loose stool/ diarrhea has come back, and now he is not eating as well as he normally does. He is still eating, just not finishing his meals. Oh, and he only gained 1.2 lbs. this week even though he's been averaging almost 3 lbs./week. He still has no other symptoms and is playful and alert.

I'm curious as to what else it could be. He tested negative for worms (and he takes heartworm prev. med. that kills all other worms, too) and I'm pretty sure it's not the food he's getting (unless too many treats could be the culprit). I asked the vet about weeds (he loves to chew the yard vegetation) and was told that they are most likely not toxic. Also told that true food allergies are quite rare so probably not that. What else could it be? Any thoughts?

If he's not better in a few days, I'm gonna take him in to the vet. Again. /Sigh...

[Brewster's Mom]

I've been using pumkin too. Brewster finished his meds and seems to be doing ok now. Our irrigation water is off for the winter, too, so hopefully he's good until the spring. I hope he does not have a seasonal giardia problem!

[Leslie du Mont]

OMG, did I write this? This is exactly what happened to us this week. After 7 month GD Atty finished his meds for his giardia, his stools bc loose again after three days. So, now we're back on the Hill's science diet ID food and more antibiotics. I'm in the middle of trying to find a new vet, so this is especially frustrating for us. Our old vet retired and sold his clinic to a woman I do not like at all. Bad timing for us to need a vet. I'm not even sure where to begin. The old vet was worthless. I hate to start over and explain his symptoms again to someone that doesn't know him, but I don't even know what to do if he doesn't get better after this round of meds. ?? Is it food, is giardia just that difficult to kick, is my yard contiminating him again, is the sidewalk we walk him on, is it an allergy? What gives and how can I help it get better?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Leslie, giardia can be very tough to eliminate soemtimes. A lot of dogs do keep getting reinfected through contact with contaminated areas in the yard, puddles of standing water, etc. Several rounds of treatment are not unheard of; but that doesn't mean there may not be something else going on. One thing I can tell you for sure is that it is not an allergy. The symptoms of allergies in dogs never include diarrhea or loose stools.
You can have any new vet request your records from the previous vet's office.

[Brewster's Mom]

is Atty on a second, longer dose of meds? Brewster origonally took one week of meds and when that did not work went to a three week dose, which seems to have done the trick. Good Luck!