Anybody experienced Giardia in their dogs?

Hi anyone

I suspect my dog might have Giardia. She had the runs and kept us up the night before last, so she's been on fish and rice, but this morning's poo was a bright yellow cow pat! I had a suspision it might be Giardia, so I spoke to the vet about it. He seems to think it has only turned bright yellow due to her gastric problems, but told me to put her back on her sensitivity control normal dry food and if it's no better tomorrow he will give me a special formula for Giardia coz he agreed with me it might be that. I told him they were only wormed 2 months ago, but he said the tablets he gave me then would not have got rid of these parasites.

Has anyone ever had experience of this Giardia in any of their dogs please? I only found it whilst doing a search on yellow diarrhea! Any info would be gratefully received as usual and thanks!

I have never heard of that before.

Hope Cassie starts to get over her poorly tummy today

Thanks Myschievous. No, nor had I, but when she had that bloody watery diarrhea last time, which was only about 2 months ago, I found myself wondering about it back then, so this time, I decided to look up on it. Funny too, that the vet agreed with me that it might in fact be this. It is a type of worm apparently. Weird isn't it? Last time I was investigation watery, bloody diarrhea and it cropped up, and now again when punching in bright yellow watery diarrhea. I think I will have to go down the road of him giving me that medication tomorrow, as if it is something like that,then I want to get rid of it once and for all don't I. Always blooming something with my two! I think I will go for a couple of mongrels next time!! Lot more hardy I think! I have never had problems with any of my gsd's until I got Cassie - she has taken over my life in more ways than one! Thanks though Myschievous, maybe somebody on here has experienced this, I'm hoping anyway.

http://www.vetinfo4dogs.com/dogmess.html

This link might interest anybody who wants to know more about it.

HI Helen

I am on an american lab site, and its apparently quite frequent over there with Giardia...

Someone I knew on another list, their dog had giardia quite a while ago H I`ve not had dealings with it myself. I know her dog was tested first & then she had to back for further testing till they showed he was clear. He was given flagyl anti/b`s to treat it
Heres another link http://www.addl.purdue.edu/newslette...ardiasis.shtml
You`ll see the one above says bloody/watery d/rear isn`t a usual symptom. I really think the vet should do a fecal test to find out whats the matter so it can be treated correctly

H did you notice the 2 site say a lot of vets believe giardia is down to a weak immune system? That would tie in with her itchyness/allergies don`t you think?

and anothe link http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/health/giardia.htm

Thanks for your help Christine, I am going on those site in a mo (famous last words when posting on DW I know!) Anyway, the one I put up says the most obvious sign is this bright yellow diarrhea which she has at the moment. What makes we wonder about this is the fact that this is the 4th time this year!!! Before, it was watery/bloody, but at the onset each time it was bright yellow cow pats, and that is what made me think of researching again on this Giardia.

Lol! Christine, it's the other one with the itchiness, Georgie, I have a double whammy!

This one is the one with the previously diagnosed EPI, and I asked the vet if it could be that again as her test 6 months ago came back "inconclusive", but he said he didn't think it was. Either way, whatever happens tomorrow, if I have to take her to the vet, I think I will definitely be getting a fecal and a blood test, plus a test for the EPI as I am getting fed up with this, she gets thinner and thinner after each episode, it is not fair on her to keep having these episodes especially so very often now, but is that because of any damage previously done to her with her EPI, or her having eaten rat poison 5 ys. ago, or is it maybe because she has had these Giardia parasites in her for years. I really must get to the bottom of this because this is not your normal run of the mill diarrhea that dogs get is it. I have had dogs in the past who have had bouts of diarrhea, but nothing on the scale that she gets them and it always starts off with her vomiting, and there's just too much of it lately.

Unfortunately my vet is on holiday (again???!!!) but this man is a locom, sounds like he is from New Zealand, and sounds very, very thorough indeed, coz he knew everything about my dog before I spoke to him on the phone and I only waited for a couple of mins to talk to him from the receptionist, so that's a result isn't it. In fact, I got the impression he knew more "stuff" than my own vet who will always dismiss this as "rubbish disease"! Could be I know, but not like this, I don't like the colour of this poo at all, it's very very worrying.

Did it say on your website Jeanette about the bright yellow diarrhea please?

Thanks for those sites Christine, I am going there now!

No I dont think so, but I can ask

Didn`t know about the epi H

heres a link http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body...nsufficie.html

used to have some more I`ll look & get back later, just fed the dogs & gotta do us now

Where can they pick up the Giardia worm or parasite??...Do they get it in the same way they do any other?

Apparently, they can pick it up from other dogs who are carriers but show no signs of it, by drinking water outside (which mine are always doing out on our walks) by eating feaces of cats, squirrels (we have lots of squirrels in my gardens) this is what I've read on my searches.

Our worming programme will not kill these particular parasites either, you have to get a special medication from the vets which is the only treatment that works with them.