Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi Dr. Tobin

My dog had some minor diarrhea and seems just a bit more listless than usual. The diarrhea cleared up in 2 days but I took in a fecal sample because she plays in a pond at a dog park and swims in it almost every day.

Her fecal ELISA came back positive for Giardiasis but none in her stool sample. She has been sleeping more but still goes nuts playing with dogs at the dog park. All her other blood work (Anitec Super Chem) and urinalysis was normal.

I know blood work is not something you look at so her diet is raw meaty bones and has been since she was 8 weeks old. I have been feeding raw for 40 years.

Is this something that needs treatment? I also give her raw garlic and Omega 3-6-9 with each meal. She is 1 year 10 months old.

Of course the vet wanted to put her on Drontal @ $154.00 for treatment. Side effects and treatment effectiveness threw up red flags so I am here to find out what is best to do which is of course alternatives. I have read everything from GSE to digestive enzymes works.

What in your opinion is the most effective treatment to eliminate it and to keep it gone. I will hate to not allow her to swim but if I must...so be it.

Valerie
Athena my 90 pound wonder

Careful examination of puppies' stool has shown that up to 85% of them have giardia; of course not 85% of them have diarrhea. There is an association of giardia with diarrhea, but not necessarily a cause and effect. It is quite possible that the conditions that cause diarrhea are the conditions that allow giardia to multiply rapidly. The ELISA test shows that your dog at some time has been exposed to giardia and produced antibodies against it, which is what is supposed to happen upon exposure, but if there are no giardia found in the stool, at the least, they are not causing a problem, and at best the dog's immune system has completely eliminated them. It is likely there is some giardia in the pond where your dog swims, but it is not causing a problem, so she will constantly be exposed, but her immune system has already taken care of the problem.

I am on disability now and your post just saved me $154.00. I thought it insane to give toxic medications to a perfectly healthy dog.

FYI I also use your heart worm nosodes only. Every year when I bring her in for a check up (guide dog rules not mine) the vet is just crazy that my dogs do not get traditional heart worm medication because I refuse to poison them with their garbage

Thanks so much
Valerie & Athena

Dogs for Life