Giardia....Help PLZ...will shot work or only oral medication? - Page 1

I have a four month old puppy i did the giardia test and she has a minor amount in her body. I gave her flagyl and that has had some affect. can i just give her the giardia vaccine? will that work or do i have to treat the infection first then vaccinate the dog. The infection isnt to bad because the dog is at good wieght and has a lot of energy but my main concern is the future. i know this will effect her in the future. i also heard that the the shot will remove the giargia and prevent it from returning to the puppy, is this true? i need as much advice as i can get. i am very concerned.

We have always treated our dogs with Panacur for Giardia, 5 days in a row and they were good to go.  We opted for the Giardia vaccine for several years, but have learned that usually dogs build up somewhat of an immunity to it and may not ever have or show any symptoms again.  Have also been told by the vets that you would have to give the vaccine once a year??  I didn't like the sound of that. 

Peggy

knightenhaus

You need to go to the vet.  This is not at all dangerous if treated.  If you get some PRObiotics you can encourage the growth of the good bacteria while killing off the giardia, and that may be the best course of action.

If you don't go to the vet, it could turn into a problem.

My dogs swim a lot and get giardia every now and then, so I know they get better, but take care of it and go to the vet.

How many days did you treat with the Flagyl? You should give the Flagyl for one week, then an injection of Giardia Vax. Then every year a booster of the Giardia Vax. You can also use  Albendazole  for 2 days. Then the shot of Giardia Vax..... If you need to purchase  Albendazole, this is a very good supply to deal with.

http://www.eppinettekennels.com/liquidtapewormer.html

Abhay,

I treated with the Flagyl for about 6 days, i am planning to take my dog to the vet tommorow and give her the shot. the vet wants to test her for the giardia to make sure that it is gone and then give her the shot. does the giardia have to be completely gone before the shot is administered?

I would never use that vaccination......

MKMina,
There are pros and cons on vaccinations, but the research I did and most of the literature and my  vet were not favorable for vaccinations.
Basically, I do not like to over vaccinate any way and it does not eliminate Giardia, it just eliminates sheding of this one celled Protezoan.

As far as treatment you do need to go to a vet, but also I recommend you do your homework. Look it up and start educating yourself on it.
It can be a bad deal with puppies. Many older dogs carry it but are not effected by it. 

As far as treatment goes, Flagyl is common as is Panacur. Maybe the same drug, don't remember. You will need to keep on top of it with follow up stool samples and they must look specifically for this bug, not just a general stool check. 

It can be tough to get rid of if the dog is reinfesting itself at his enviorment. There are many things you should be aware of as far as hygene where the dog stays and visits. As I said you need to do some reading up on it.

We battled this nasty critter for several months, seemed like we were never going to get rid of it. It kept coming back, and every time it came back we would work that much harder at cleaning up any thing that could be reinfecting him.

Bottum line was that he was not being treated long enough!!!!!!!  Every time he started to get better and the meds would run out it would come back as it was not being completely elimiated.  So make sure your vet gives you a long enough dose of meds to do the job. There are a number of treatments vets use, sometimes in combinations if my memory serves me right.   Good luck

Use Secnidazole 1gm stat. Only one oral dose and follow up after fifteen days. If  you dont have access to Secnidazole then get Metronidazole 400 mg and give three times a day for seven days. Giardia will never ever appear again.

Giardia is a microscopic parasite. The main problem or hassle is that it is encased in a hard outer shell that allows it to live for extended periods of time outside of the body. This means kennels must be cleaned up immediately after a dog soils it. A dog that is being treated for giardia can "re-infect" if it re-uptakes infected stool. Some dogs inadvertently step in stool, and lick thier paws later while cleaning themselves. Others, intentionally eat their own stool. Bottom line is that kennel disinfection in a must.

Here is my formula for combating this:

1.) Panacur - normal duration = 3days. Then wait 3 days and dose again for 3. (this is a back to back dose essentially)

2.) Remove dog from kennel area and scrape up/off all stool possible. 

3.) Bleach treat kennel.  KEY to this is---  mix 1 cup of bleach per gallon of water. Pour mix on entire kennel floor or where stool may 
      have come in contact.

4.) Use a hard scrub brush (or scrub broom) and scrub surface of all visible, caked on stool.

5.) Once again, repeat step # 3... DO NOT RINSE! LET SOAK FOR ONE HOUR.
      (most people pour on bleach solution and then rinse off directly after. you have to let the bleach penetrate cracks and pours and work!)

6.) Rinse thouroghly and let dry entirely.

7.) Pre-mix 1 part bleach to 4 parts water in a hand held spray bottle. When the dog poops in the kennel, pick up stool, spray and wipe clean 
     with paper towels. be SURE that area is dry.

8.) Be diligent in picking up stool around the yard where dog can come in contact with it.

Panacur will take care of it