Giardia

Question
My puppy has been treated with four rounds of the Giardia medicine and its still coming up positive.  Its this normal or should it be a serious health concern?  Also his stool has mucous in it.  I have taken him to the vet and he keeps giving me higher doses of the Panacur and Flagy, but it doesn't seem to clear the problem.  What should I do?

Answer
Hi Julia,

Thank you for writing to me.  Giardia is very tricky and very hard to get rid of. You can sometimes get a positive test result because of antibodies but it's crucial that a dog be cleared and not infected with this.

It is possible that your dog is being recontaminated.  Giardia, once in the soil, doesn't die. It's near impossible to get rid of.  I suggest that you change the area where your dog is running outside.  Stick to sidewalks and places that are dry as Giardia is usually caught from puddles and bodies of water that have been contaminated.

All these rounds of antibiotics at higher and higher doses are not good for your dog.  At this point I would ask that a culture be done and different drugs tested to see which one the Giardia is responding best to.

I would also consider seeing a specialist and getting a second opinion.

Be sure to give your dog live culture yogurt to combat the side effects of the drugs.  Also, a healthy immune system is crucial to overcoming Giardia.  Feed a high quality, human grade food and filtered water.  Give your dog a good vitamin/mineral. After puppy shots the only vaccination your dog will need is a 3 years rabies.  More than that and the immune system will be challenged which is what the Giardia is doing right now.  No flea collars (give Missing Link instead) and no chemicals of any kind.  Keep everything as natural and pure as you would for a baby.  This will all together help restore your dog's immune system so he can better fight this invader.

Remember that humans can catch Giardia so wash your hands after handling the stool.

Best of luck,
Shelley Davis