Giardia - Any ideas?

theresa92841

Gigi Monster & Evil Puppy
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
Messages
127
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
Southern California
#1
My newest puppy, Enchante, came to me in July with Giardia. Thus far she has been treated 2x with metronidazole and panacur. Then we also tried just upping her fiber with metamucil. Most recently, she had 14 days of treatment with ronidazole.

After each treatment she has tested positive for giardia. I haven't had her tested after the latest treatment . . . but she still has the symptoms of Giardia.

Most troubling is that the last time the other two dogs also needed to be treated as they were having symptoms of giardia too.

I practice good hygiene with them, but at this point, how could it not be in my yard? So I'm worried that even if the treatment works, they are now reinfecting themselves from my yard. I asked my vet about whether there was anything that I could do for the yard, and he said there wasn't. That even if I replaced all the dirt with new dirt, it would still have giardia because it is that prevalent in California.

He also said that if Enchante still has giardia after this last treatment, that he can give the dogs a vaccine that does nothing for curing the giardia but helps prevent them from spreading it.

Has anybody been in a similar situation? I am starting to feel like I am stuck in an endless cycle of this. Any thoughts or ideas of what more I could be doing or trying?
 

corgipower

Tweleve Enthusiest
Joined
Sep 19, 2007
Messages
8,233
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
here
#2
When I lived in NY, I had huge problems with giardia, and I do believe it was in the soil. Spraying the yard with a bleach and water mixture worked wonders.

This site ~ Giardia ~ might also help in terms of treatment. But with my dog that kept getting giardia, bleaching the yard was all I had to do to.
 

theresa92841

Gigi Monster & Evil Puppy
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
Messages
127
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
Southern California
#3
When I lived in NY, I had huge problems with giardia, and I do believe it was in the soil. Spraying the yard with a bleach and water mixture worked wonders.

This site ~ Giardia ~ might also help in terms of treatment. But with my dog that kept getting giardia, bleaching the yard was all I had to do to.
Thanks for the website link! I have bookmarked that as an option. I am really at my wits end. It has been 6 whole months now without an end in sight.

How did you bleach the soil? I mean, what ratio of bleach to water did you use? And did it kill off all the grass at the same time? Did you have to do it a few times? And do you remember how long you have to keep the dogs off of it after you did it? I imagine it would be bad for them to get the mixture on their paws. I certainly am thinking of doing this . . . just want to prepare myself for it ahead of time.
 

corgipower

Tweleve Enthusiest
Joined
Sep 19, 2007
Messages
8,233
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
here
#4
How did you bleach the soil? I mean, what ratio of bleach to water did you use? And did it kill off all the grass at the same time? Did you have to do it a few times? And do you remember how long you have to keep the dogs off of it after you did it? I imagine it would be bad for them to get the mixture on their paws. I certainly am thinking of doing this . . . just want to prepare myself for it ahead of time.
I don't at all remember the ratio. I think I usually do about 50/50 or so. It didn't kill the grass. I bleached every day for about a week and then I only bleached after it rained (the dog got giardia after it rained, so I think it was getting washed to the surface from the rain). The dogs were kept off it until it was dry.
 

theresa92841

Gigi Monster & Evil Puppy
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
Messages
127
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
Southern California
#5
I don't at all remember the ratio. I think I usually do about 50/50 or so. It didn't kill the grass. I bleached every day for about a week and then I only bleached after it rained (the dog got giardia after it rained, so I think it was getting washed to the surface from the rain). The dogs were kept off it until it was dry.
Sorry to be such a pest, but this is so helpful. Did you apply it using one of those hand pump sprayers or is there a faster way to do it? Maybe put bleach in one of those bottles that attach to the hose?

Also, how much did you spray? I mean did you just essentially wet the area or did you soak the area when you sprayed?

I am going to Home Depot tomorrow (most likely) and want to go ahead and pick up a sprayer there.
 

corgipower

Tweleve Enthusiest
Joined
Sep 19, 2007
Messages
8,233
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
here
#6
In NY, I used a small pump sprayer because I didn't have a hose. At a kennel I worked at, we bleached the play yards twice a day and we used a sprayer on the end of the hose -- filled the sprayer with bleach and it would mix with the water from the hose. Here, I just use a regular spray bottle -- not bleaching for giardia, but just because with four dogs it gets a little smelly and also in case wild animals are bringing anything in.

I don't soak it, but I try to get enough on there that it's not just on the tips of the grass.
 

drmom777

Bloody but Unbowed
Joined
Apr 11, 2007
Messages
5,480
Likes
0
Points
36
Age
60
Location
new jersey
#7
My dog also had recurrent giardia, but we knew he wasn't getting it in our yard, since it isn't fenced and he doesn't tarry there. We wound up treatring him with long term Metronidazole therapy. It took six months but he has been symptom free ever since (and that's almost three years).
 

theresa92841

Gigi Monster & Evil Puppy
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
Messages
127
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
Southern California
#8
My dog also had recurrent giardia, but we knew he wasn't getting it in our yard, since it isn't fenced and he doesn't tarry there. We wound up treatring him with long term Metronidazole therapy. It took six months but he has been symptom free ever since (and that's almost three years).
I haven't heard of long term Metronidazole therapy. Maybe that will be what the vet has us try next.

I did start to treat the yard to day. Then totally ran out of bleach. I will have to go buy some big containers of it. I got both a hand pump sprayer specifically designed for bleach and then a sprayer for the hose. I will probably use the hose for the lawn. but may use the hand pump sprayer for more control near patio furniture.
 
Joined
Aug 7, 2008
Messages
2,242
Likes
0
Points
0
#9
When Chili had Giardia we used a combo of Flagyl and this drug.

Albon

he has a supressed immune system and it has not reoccurred :)
 

GlassOnion

Thanks, and Gig 'em.
Joined
Oct 29, 2005
Messages
9,065
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
Tejas
#10
The Metronidazole should be clearing it up. He's either being auto-reinfected or being reinfected out of the environment.

Giardia is extremely hardy and can survive in the soil in a cyst form for up to 6 months.
 

corky

Ontario BSL rescue
Joined
Dec 22, 2009
Messages
131
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
Oh, Canada!
#11
How long was the Panacur (fenbenzadole) treatment? I don't know about dogs, but in cats giardia needs 5--7 days of treatment with benbenzadole that is repeated in two weeks. This is longer than typical deworming. It may be worth looking up the recommended treatment to be sure it was long enough.
 

theresa92841

Gigi Monster & Evil Puppy
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
Messages
127
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
Southern California
#12
How long was the Panacur (fenbenzadole) treatment? I don't know about dogs, but in cats giardia needs 5--7 days of treatment with benbenzadole that is repeated in two weeks. This is longer than typical deworming. It may be worth looking up the recommended treatment to be sure it was long enough.
It was definitely that long. At least Enchante likes taking her meds, although the other two dogs do NOT.
 

theresa92841

Gigi Monster & Evil Puppy
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
Messages
127
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
Southern California
#13
Today I was at the vet, to have fecal samples from the pupsters and see how we are doing on the giardia front.

I asked him about bleaching my yard with bleach water. He said that the bleach water won't do anything . . . that there is nothing that I can do to treat the yard and get rid of giardia if it is there. :(

I still plan on finishing up with the bottles of bleach that I bought. But I no longer have much hope about this helping.

I will hear what the test results are tomorrow. I suspect that they still do have giardia. At least the two younger ones. The older one seems fine. But if by some miracle the new puppy tests negative, it will be the first time since I brought her home.
 

theresa92841

Gigi Monster & Evil Puppy
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
Messages
127
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
Southern California
#14
The vet called me with results this morning . . . the pupsters tested negative. Yeah!!! First time in 6 months that Enchante has tested negative. And oddly enough in the last couple of days, the reasons why I thought they might still have giardia had disappeared too.
 

Amanda885

New Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2009
Messages
684
Likes
0
Points
0
#15
I've heard many times that there is a way you can spray your yard and it helps ..but yeah, that is definitely a tough situation. I hope that you can find a solution for it. good luck!
 

Jynx

New Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2005
Messages
1,071
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
CT
#17
great news,,giardia is hard to get rid of,,,the 'cysts can also attach themselves to the lining of the intestines and re hatch /infect months, even years later..They can also get it from drinking scummy pond water/soil...
 

Members online

No members online now.
Top