Zena's got the squits

Just got back from the vet with Zena coz she started this diarrhea on Friday, and although she's 100% fine in herself, acting the loon, running about, eating and drinking, that's too long for this to go on without a check up.

Anyhoo, he had a good feel and she was very good even though she growled at him at first (but she was muzzled!). He said everything was nice and relaxed in there..... then he said "hang on a minute" then he said all was well, phew! I told him about her short bout of sickness 2 weeks ago and that she had been fine since until this diarrhea and I also asked him if there had been anything going around atm. He said 2 weeks ago he was inundated with sickness diarrhea doglets, so that could be it. I told him it's now turned to yellow water and I'm paranoid about that giardia when it turns like this, so he said if it's no better by Wednesday she has to go back and we'll do the poo sample. All that trouble I went to this morning trying to get runny poo into a tiny little pot and he didn't want it today

She's on 4 metronidazoles a day (that's good for giardia if it IS that), and then another pill twice a day, huuuuge bladdy things (canikur) which I suspect would be kaolin of some kind, but thankfully I broke that up and she crunched on it undisguised. I suspect she'll hone in on these metronidazole's soon enough and will start refusing her food coz they taste 'orrible!

Anyway, she's going to feel awful soon when they kick in, I know that coz of when I've taken them, but hopefully, if I can get enough of them into her, even the whole course would be good, then it should sort her out.

My poor baby

Rather than the Metro, Helena, I would just worm her for 3 days on the trot (no pun intended!) with Panacur, following the instructions in the leaflet for Giardiasis. It she gets better very quickly, then you know it was the dreaded Giardia. The trouble with Metro in dogs and humans, it can make you feel like poo, so it is difficult to tell whether you or your dog had Giardia, or not.

I really hope it is not - this weather we are having at the moment is ideal conditions for the protozoa to burst into action. We are living in dread as the farmer has said he is going to spread HSS again this year and for ever more. My husband has gathered a massive portfolio of evidence against the safety of using HSS, and we have now written to the farmer presenting him with the facts re villagers and their dogs and are waiting to hear back - probably from his lawyer!!

That's exactly what I wanted to do quite honestly, I even asked for the Granofen (their equivalent to the Panacur) over the phone on Saturday but they obviously said I had to see the vet first.

The vet I saw, is actually one of the top men at the hospital so I trust him explicitly, so I'm going along with his recommendations. I told him about all the s*it lying around where I walk here atm in these awful, wet muddy conditions and all the diarrhea I'd seen along with all of that and the fact that I do have to be careful where I throw her ball, but you can't odds it can you, and he said that is why there's some nasty bugs going around, including the giardia because of all the amount of dirty water He has actually told me that when I go back on Wednesday if she hasn't produced a normal one, then he will definitely be taking the panacur route. I've got a gut feeling that's what it is coz of the consistency, the smell and the bright yellow colour! He said he doesn't like worming a dog who has imflamed bowels already and I can buy that!

So sorry to hear you're going through all this again at yours, and I really hope that one day (make it soon!) you will get the while thing sorted, it just can't go on like this for you! Glad you've got the whole village behind you now too!!! I'm going to get on the case when I smell it next time in our village too!

She's ravenously hungry but I am only allowed to feed her a very small handful about 5 times a day, and definitely with those ab's, I do know that much! I just want to see a formed poo and soon, even a partially formed one would be good! Thanks Gnasher, and good luck with all your nightmares!

You don't need to go to your vet to buy wormer - they charge through the nose for it. Much much cheaper is to go to your local Pet City or Pets at Home or good petshop who will sell you bona fide wormer such as Panacur. We actually buy it on line, and we buy the horse Panacur because it is miles cheaper, same formula, same stuff, different packaging and huge savings!

We always dose all 3 dogs every time that yellow diarrhoea starts - it is very diagnostic, especially for raw fed boys like ours. I must say I hadn't thought about giving them Panacur when their tummies are bad, but tbh the damage that the protozoa do is pretty harsh, so I personally think it is worth doing, but if your vet who you trust doesn't want to do that, then fair do's. We take the Panacur ourselves, rather than the dread Metranidazole when we get a reoccurence on the giardia - much better we find, it makes humans really feel like poo, probably does dogs as well.

we battle on with the good fight - it will take a long time, if ever, to get the stuff banned because currently it is considered safe by DEFRA. How spreading human **** within feet of houses could EVER be considered safe, beats me, but then I'm not a suit in the Ministry!

Sorry to hear poor Zena is still not well. I'm really hoping the tablets soon kick in and help her. Its miserable for her, and for you when your trying to clean it up.
If its a bug I hope poor Georgie doesn't get it too, although i would have thought he would have shown some signs by now.
Got everything crossed that I soon see an excited post from you about a firm well formed poo .

Sorry to hear that Zena is feeling unwell. Hope she is back to her usual happy, squit-free, self soon

Hi Helena - sorry Zena's tum hasn't cleared up but hope tablets sort her out. I think we are all interested in Zena's poo at the moment

Big hugs to Zena xxx

So sorry to hear that Zena is unwell and I hope she is better really soon. Hugs to your gorgeous girly xxx

Oh yes Bev, that cleaning it up, coz we have large chunks of gravel on our drive, and I made the mistake first time of trying to grab a pile with only ONE bag you can imagine what happened to my fingernails lol!!!! The good part is, I can grab some of it with 3 bags together, then I spray it all with Jayes, then I just hose it through and spray it again hoping it will kill all the bugs off for the future. Georgie actually had this last week when Zena was feeling sick, but his only lasted for one day so I find that strange in itself. Thanks Bev.xxxx

I just checked up on the invoice when they last had this July 2009, and I can see they had the metronidazole to start off with before they got the Panacur. I'm loathe to dose her myself with an over the counter, I feel safe with that Granofen they gave me last time coz you know what I'm like xxx

So do I Kirsty, so do I, it's a nightmare in the mornings out there! Thankfully, she's always managed to wake Dave up in the night, but how she holds it whilst he goes to the back door I will never know coz he's soooooo slow is Dave lol! We were sitting here on the puter yesterday afternoon looking at stuff together and Zena was sat here whingeing, so she got told to shut up, then I suddenly realised what she wanted Poor begger couldn't wait to get out that door when I rushed to it!!! Bless her heart, always such a good girl. that's the kiss of death!!!!

Lol, I shall be ecstatic if I go out there and find a formed one that's for sure and I'll be sure to have to pass on the good news!!! Hope Jasmine is totally ok now.xxxx

Thanks Claire, it's been such a long time since we've had diarrhea, nearly 18 months now, should have kept my big mouth shut!!!

All this mud, we've got all the dog walkers coming over this way coz it's obviously too muddy everywhere else they would normally go, and not only are most of them leaving all the c*ap lying around, but one of them is leaving loads of bags scattered between those 2 fields I took you in and then the animals have got to them Oh it's awful! If it wasn't so muddy and slippery, I'd go up top to Cissbury but I'd probably end up in casualty lol! I now park half way along the fields and go up in the middle of them where there's less c*ap about, but no doubt others will be doing the same soon What's it like where you are - getting bad? I might resort to the beach soon, but it's a bit cold isn't it. Hope the gorgeous trio are doing well.xxxx

Hope Zena is better soon and stomach settles. Some people think is a bit daft but i've become very much a believer that dogs and peoples whole system/health has a lot to do with what's going on in their gut n the ability to fight off bugs/illness and compromise of immune system(if that makes any sense). Also that things change with age and many factors also(just what have noticed here over time), it doesn't matter how well we try look after our dogs or ourselves but intolerances/allergies can develop. Am sorry not much help but wishing Zena and all well
H x