Giardia Warning

2023-09-13T17:39:42+00:00

Breeders, including us, are concerned by a marked increase in the intestinal parasite Giardia Duodenalis, exacerbated by a lack of understanding of what it is and how to treat it.

I am 48 years of age and have been breeding Dogs since I was ten. I had heard of Giardia but, until this Spring, had never encountered it personally. The condition it causes, Giardiasis, is represented by putrid, mucus dominated faeces, often with red traces of discarded gut inflammation.

It is not a Worm, it is a Protozoa, and enjoys a highly successful life cycle that enables it to reinfect the same host, again and again, whilst extending to others in addition.

It exists in very many healthy adult Dogs (and Cats, and Foxes...) but, cannily, they remain asymptomatic, which allows the little blighters to move around, invisibly, and to consistently reproduce - the cornerstone of any parasitic colony.

When it does present symptoms (commonly in young pups; their elders having natural resilience), it is frequently mistaken for a Worm infestation, resulting in inappropriate treatment and a prolonged recovery.

Having researched the matter for ourselves, we have developed a simple strategy that is working, and has avoided costly, and often unnecessary, Veterinary intervention (which, itself, has been witnessed to be more harmful to the pup than the Giardiasis it is temporarily suffering).

1. Don't Panic!

Faeces during Giadiasis appear far worse than they really are. Trust your instinct, and trust your pup - if vital signs, appetite and demeanour are all as they should be, the battle is more than half won.

2. Is it Giardia?

Giardia can be conclusively identified from a stool sample. We have heard an alarming range of charges for the service, from £70 to £250! But, if you see potential symptoms, why bother?! It is better to begin treatment, immediately, in our view. If you have misinterpreted a Worm infestation, the treatment suggested below will more than treat that, too.

3. Visit the Vet?

Again, why? This is going to be so common in young pups, owners need to be wise to the possibility and treat, accordingly, without a £50 consultation fee each time (and whatever other goodies you can be persuaded to take home!).

4. Treatment

Fenbendazole is an active ingredient in Panacur, which is the only non-prescription product we have found that is effective against Giardia. We dose in accordance with the instructions, but extend the course to ten days (we have found that shorter periods correlate with poorer reinfection rates). In extreme cases, a Veterinary prescription for the antibiotic Metronidazole can be used in conjunction with Panacur. Other treatments, special food and probiotics are pointless, in our experience. NOTE: Panacur is used to kill the parasites; it is NOT to improve poos and, if anything, it might make them worse. The true results of your treatment will only be known from about 24 hours after the last dose, when you will hope to see a return to some excremental normality.

5. Patience & Perseverance

With this little single celled customer, don't necessarily expect to get it right, first time, but persevere, for two reasons; if your pup remains fine just accept that it might take a little while and more than one attempt at treatment and, more importantly, your pup is always maturing and, therefore, heading towards the natural resilience that older Dogs benefit from.