Most dogs get giardia by drinking or eating contaminated water or feces.This can cause your dog to have horrible, long-term symptoms, such as vomiting.If it is a puppy, a senior dog, or a dog with a compromised immune system, giardia can be dangerous.Once you spot the symptoms, it's important to get your dog proper veterinary care.It's possible to eliminate giardia with the help of medication and a thorough cleaning of your home.
Step 1: There are signs of a giardia illness.
If your dog has symptoms similar to giardia, you should determine if it has been exposed to the parasites.If you have seen your dog drink water in nature or from a bowl shared with other dogs, or it has had close contact with another dog's feces, it could have gotten giardia that way.Poor coat appearance can be a Giardia symptom.
Step 2: If your dog needs to be seen right away, call the vet.
Tell your vet how long your dog's symptoms have been occurring and how extreme they are.Your vet will make a suggestion about how long your dog needs to be seen.In some cases, your vet will tell you to bring your dog in.It means that your dog's health is in danger if they tell you to do this.Dehydration and loss of nutrition are the main risks to your dog's health.Some dogs are more at risk than others because of their age, health or severity of symptoms.A puppy is more likely to become dehydrated quickly than an adult dog.
Step 3: Diagnostic tests can be done by your doctor.
When you bring your dog to the vet, they will do a physical exam and ask you questions about its condition.If they suspect giardia, they need to run tests on your dog.If your vet asks for a feces sample, it will be tested for parasites.The vet will tell you to bring a feces sample when you call in.A pooled fecal sample is a way to reduce the risk of a false negative.You need to collect fecal samples from 3 different days in the same container.This will make it more likely that you will get a sample with some of the parasites.
Step 4: Get your medication from your doctor.
Most of the time, your dog will be prescribed fenbendazole or metronidazole to eliminate the giardia parasites.Once you are prescribed the medication, it will be provided by the veterinary office.To get rid of the giardia, you need to give your dog medication.Home remedies can't eliminate this infection.If one or other has not been effective, your dog may be prescribed a combination of fenbendazole and metronidazole.
Step 5: Follow your doctor's directions closely.
When you bring your dog home, make sure to give him the medication he was sent home with.Depending on the severity of the giardia, the drugs used to treat it are usually given for 3 to 10 days.If your dog's symptoms disappear before the prescription is finished, keep giving him the medication.This will help eliminate the parasites.
Step 6: Provide water at all times to fight dehydration.
A giardia infection can cause your dog to become severely dehydrated in a matter of minutes.Give your dog access to clean water all the time and encourage it to drink whenever possible to fight this.If your dog is very dehydrated, you may be able to give it a electrolyte-enhanced fluid, such as Pedialyte.This only works if the dog stops vomiting.
Step 7: Feed your dog a good diet while it heals.
Feed your dog a diet that will help minimize the symptoms of giardia.You can give your dog a mixture of cooked white rice and cooked skinless chicken in the same amount as you would normally feed it.It will be easy for your dog to digest this mixture.Talk to your vet about what you should be feeding your dog.
Step 8: Remove parasites by bathing your dog at the end of treatment.
Put your dog in the bathtub.Put a few inches of warm water in the tub and lather up your dog with dog wash.Make sure to rinse the area around the anus thoroughly after you clean the dog's rear end.Don't touch the rest of the dog's body with your gloves after you've washed his rear end.You can handle the front of your dog with clean hands if you take them off.
Step 9: A follow-up exam is needed for your dog after treatment.
It's important to get a clean bill of health from your vet once you have given your dog all of its medication and it appears to be on the mend.The follow up appointment is usually scheduled at the time of the initial exam.If you don't have a scheduled follow-up appointment, call the clinic during treatment.The vet will do another fecal exam to make sure the parasites are gone.You may need to collect a pooled sample to make sure that the parasites have been eliminated.
Step 10: It's a good idea to Disinfect all hard surfaces.
Put on rubber gloves, spray the surfaces with a disinfectant, and then leave it on for 5 to 20 minutes before wiping it off.The surfaces that need to be cleaned include floors, the bottom of cabinets, hard furniture, and walls that your dog rubs up against.To make a homemade solution, stir 1–2 cups of bleach into 1 gallon of water.It can be put into a spray bottle to be used to clean indoor and outdoor surfaces.
Step 11: If possible, sterilize your dog-related items in the dishwasher.
All food dishes, leashes, toys, and other items should be put in the dishwasher.The giardia parasites can be effectively killed by running the machine to its hottest and longest cycle.If you don't have a dishwasher, you can wash these items by boiling them for 20 minutes.Don't use your dishes to run these items in the dishwasher.
Step 12: All fabrics should be washed in a washing machine.
Take all fabrics that are machine washed and run them through your machine.The linens that can be washed include blankets, small dog beds, bed linens, and clothes that the dog wears.All furniture and carpets should be steam cleaned to kill all the parasites.During your dog's recovery, this should be done several times.After the vet has verified that the infection is gone, you should do a big cleaning.It's a good idea to wash your hands after handling all of the linens.
Step 13: Don't let your dog run around with other dogs.
If your dog comes into contact with other dogs, it can easily pass on its infection.Don't take your dog to the dog park.Don't allow your neighbor's dogs to interact with it.You should keep it sequestered until your vet clears it.Pull your dog away if another dog smells his rear end.This is a way that the infection can be spread quickly.If you have more than one dog in your home, you may not be able to keep them out of each other.Your vet may suggest that you give all of your dogs treatment at the same time if this is the case for you.
Step 14: Quickly clean up all feces.
As your dog recovers, keep an eye on its bathroom time.You can remove the feces if you know where the dog is going to the bathroom.Put on gloves and pick up the feces, then put the bag in your trash can.Even if your dog is the only dog that goes to the bathroom in your yard, the feces can cause a problem after the treatment is over.If your dog has to go to the bathroom in a public place, carry a spray bottle of bleach solution to spray on the area after you pick up the feces.The area is cleaned so that no other dog gets sick.