Giardia again!

[vikki.k]

So Baja was diagnosed with Giardia back in late August, he has been on 3 different medications since then as nothing was shifting it, we finally thought he had got over it and finished his pills on Tuesday this week. Although yesterday we noticed his poo was no longer solid, then last night we were back to square one and up 4 times in the night, then this morning the mucus is back and it's clear to see that the giardia has not gone.

Going to book him back into the vet tomorrow, to see what the next step is. Anyone got any ideas on what else we can do?

He is well in himself, and don't really want to see him get down about it and unwell again like he was at the beginning of this, but just HOW long does it take to get rid of it?

Feel so sorry for him, I'm sure it cant be any fun and don't really want him popping pills everyday!

[Maria]

Have you used Panacur granules?

It was the only thing that finally got rid of the giardia that Smudge had for several months. She had Metronidazole several times, but it would come back a few days after finishing it. We then gave her a probiotic paste regularly to help her tummy / immune system.
We also had to be very thorough about cleaning up after her to avoid reinfection - we used boiling water on any area she went to the toilet on,( as only heat or dessication kills off the parasite), followed by a disinfectant. Our grass died off a lot but it was worth it to stop the reinfection.
She did have one more 'episode' a year or so later when we were on hols and OH let her drink from a puddle near a field of cows  But a trip to a local vet for more panacur and Promax cleared it up in a few day.

Good luck, you have my sympathies - while she had it felt like she would never be free of it.

[vikki.k]

Thanks Maria, he had panacur to begin with which didn't touch it, but not granules (is this different to the panacur liquid I was given)

We stayed away from Metronidazole up until recently, as we were a bit worried about it, but having finshed a course of it, that hasn't helped

We pour boiling water from the kettle on areas that he goes, luckily only uses gravel so makes it easier and we throw the gravel away where we pick it up.

Will see what the vet says and ask about granules.

Thanks 

[Maria]

It took 2, 5 day courses of Panacur to get rid of it, I can't remember how long apart though, sorry. She was infected in early Sept, and only became clear late Dec - that was a long 4 months! I think as long as the liquid has the same constituents as the granules it should be OK.
I think the probiotics helped populate her gut with good bacteria, which helps the immune system to kill the parasites. Boysie didn't get infected at all during this period (and they both drank from the same original source), but we gave him live yoghurt as well as a precaution.
Just remembered that Trigene is the disinfectant we used in addition to hot water.
It's not much consolation (I can remember thinking we'd never have a full night's sleep again), but our vet said it normally took a while to get rid of it. We used to think it had gone, then a couple of days after meds had finished they had colonised her tummy again .

[brownsugar]

Our Toby got rid of it after two successive courses of Panacur tablets (each course was five days a tablet Panacur KH 250 containing 250mg fenbendazol; which was the amount for a puppy of his size). So 10 days in all. I was well fed up with the whole thing, cleaning everything twice.

Looked up some Dutch websites on giardia, Panacur and Metronidazole are both used her too. One site mentioned there are different straines of giardia and some react better to Panacur and others to Metrodinazole  .

When Toby had giardia I started giving him a (Dutch brand) raw meat based food, to give his gut bacteria a boost and make him hopefully less likely to catch an infection again. A bit the same idea as the probiotic paste mentioned here, I think.
Could it be Baja gets reinfected by another dog or cat in your household? Even humans can get it, and they don't have to show the symptoms.

Sorry to hear he's still plagued by this nasty parasite, hope he gets rid of it soon.

[vikki.k]

Reassuring to know we are not the only ones to have this going on so long then.

He has pro-kolin, and up until 2 weeks ago was only fed on chicken and rice so he was only eating bland, the vet suggested getting him back to normal food (JWB) so we gradually put him back on it and seemed fine for those two weeks up until 3 days after finishing his medication.

Mole drinks from the same water bowl as Baja, but shows no signs and never has. I guess if he was to get it it would have been by now?

Hopefully the vet will have some more ideas and we can question him about moving back to panacur!

[EmmaA]

Poor Baja 
I hope you mange to get him sorted out very soon 

[Dondy]

Holly had Giardia when we first got her as a tiny pup and after 2 lots of tablets she was given Panacur granules. This cleared her of it, she had to take it everyday for 5 days (I think). The stool tests are so expensive aren't they, but the only way to make sure it's gone!

Hope you get Baja sorted.

Take care,
Donna and Holly

[vikki.k]

We popped Baja back to the vet today and he has been given medication for the next 4 weeks, he goes back after 3 weeks for stool samples again and we will see how he's doing then.

So another 4 weeks of chicken and rice, then move on to a sensitive food for him, not sure what to use so started another thread for that!

He seem's so hungry at the moment, so looking forward to the pills kicking in and him not giving me those big eyes to give him more food!

Fingers crossed, we get through it this time!