# Can dogs with Giardia ever play with other dogs?



## Lil_Burke

Hi Everyone,

So Sawyer was really sick last week and I took him to the vet and he tested positive for Giardia. I'm pretty devistated. I know it's probably not my fault. We keep our house and yard clean and bath him regularly but he goes absolutely everywhere with us and I know he could have picked it up anywhere.

Well, he's on meds now for the next two weeks and the vet says he'll need two negative tests for him to be "clear". I'm really worried now because I've done a ton of research and read that sometimes it never really goes away and that the dog can remain a carrier.

Does this mean that he can never play with other dogs? Will he be at risk of infecting them? He goes to daycare and has regular playdates and I really don't want to take that away from him forever.

Any advice you have is greatly appreciated. I'm pretty bummed about the situation


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## tippykayak

I'd keep him away from other dogs, particularly puppies, while he still has symptoms and for maybe a week after the symptoms. Once you have a solid week symptom-free, wash him carefully, especially on his rear, and then you're good to go.

I don't really agree with your vet saying you need two negative fecal tests (though I am not a vet, so take that as you will). Giardia throws so many false negatives that those tests won't mean much. Personally, I wouldn't spend the money and would instead use symptoms as my guide.

If symptoms return after treatment stops, just start treatment again and repeat the process. If that keeps happening, ask your vet about a staggered protocol (you treat for a week, take 7-10 days off, then treat for a week). I've read some veterinary literature that suggests that the staggering of medicine might help catch the parasites at the right stages in their life cycle.

I doubt you'll have to do that, though. If your signature is accurate, Sawyer is old enough that his immune system will probably be able to prevent or at least minimize future flareups.

And you already know this, but as somebody who's dealt with chronic giardia in a puppy, I can confirm with a lot of experience: it's not your fault. It's common, and it's highly contagious. Fortunately, it's also rarely serious.

Keep your pup hydrated! That's the only real danger in a typical case.


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## Lil_Burke

Thanks for your advice. It is definitely reassuring.

I think the vet wanted two fecal tests done to catch it throughout the cycle, but from what I have read too that a negative test doesn't really mean anything so maybe we'll just get the one done after his meds are done and if it is negative then go from there!

On a positive note, his energy level perked right up after a couple of days on the meds and he is eating and drinking like normal again so no complaints there. I think he just misses his play buddies though so we'll have to find new ways of keeping him busy until he's all better.


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## Lil_Burke

Argh, so need a bit more advice... I took Sawyer back for a fecal about 10 days after he first got Giardia and started metro. It came back negative. He finished the metro 4 days later and yesterday I gave in and took another sample to be tested by which they told me it was "slightly positive" I took it in because his poops were getting softer and softer and well to be honest, they never really firmed up from the original outbreak.

We've disinfected every area of our house, wiped his behind every time he comes in and cleaned up after him and sprayed with bleach and water. I've made sure to give him a good bath every week too.

I don't know what else I can do to keep this nasty thing away. He sometimes gets on the furniture - do i have to go as far as using bleach and water on that? I've literally run all his soft toys through a hot washer twice - boiled his hard toys and ran them through the hot dishwasher (minus soap). Luckily our lawn is still growing in so he's never used the bathroom on that but our driveway is still gravel and not yet paved and is rather large so do i really need to go out and buy a sprayer and spray that down with bleach and water too. I'll do whatever I can to make sure i get rid of this.

Does anyone have any other suggestions or do I really need to just keep doing what I am doing and multiple rounds of medication? The vet puts him on metro for 14 days at a time. I worry that that is too much for a puppy? Any advice?


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## West

Giardia can be hard to get rid of, but you are doing everything fine! It usually takes more than one round of Metro to completely eliminate it from the puppy's system. Do you have him on a special diet too? When Cooper had Giardia, the vet told us to only feed him boiled chicken and rice, with a bit of cream cheese, while he was on Metro. 15 days later there were no symptoms and he hasn't had any further issues with the parasite.
And once he stops having the symptoms, just wait for a week or so and he'll be ready to interact with other dogs! 
It's not your fault at all. he could have picked it anywhere. it is a very common and highly contagious parasite. Just make sure you keep disinfecting everything! It's not necessary to use bleach on your furniture, but you can buy some disinfectant spray at the vet's. Ask them which is the best one to fight Giardia. That way your furniture won't be ruined and you'll ensure it's free of parasites!
Remember Giardia might be contagious to humans, so make sure you wash your hands thoroughly.


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## goldensrbest

I am doing like you, cambridge is over it, according to test, spirit one more round, starting the 3rd.


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## tippykayak

Keep up the meds. He may not be getting reinfected from the environment. The life cycle of giardia is poorly understood, but it may be that the cyst stage is outlasting the meds and hatching out once he's off them. Cycling through the medicine is probably what it's going to take to wipe it out (or to manage it until his immune system can handle it).


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## jasonkm

Sometimes metro won't work on it's own. Tex finally got over it after a 7 day Panacur treatment. Previous to that he had doses of metro and 3 day Panacur doses. I had read somewhere that alot of times a 5-10 day Panacur treatment is needed. After Tex was pooping good for a week or so, we started bringing him back to daycare and haven't looked back.


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## goldensrbest

Yeah , panacor is what mine were given.


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## Lil_Burke

Thanks everyone. I'm trying to be patient and this is only the second round of meds - hopefully it will be the last. He's on Fenbendazole as well (was last time too) for 3 days.

I just feel that maybe I'm not being cautious enough right now, although my house does smell like a hospital!


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## mylissyk

I think you've gone above and beyond disinfecting. It more probable that it's still in his system rather than in your home, and the meds need to catch it at the right stage to eradicate it.


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## Lil_Burke

So I just wanted to say that I "think" Sawyer is finally over his giardia!

He finished his second set of meds but still had really loose poops all throughout the second round so the vet decided to up the dose of the metro (because he's been growing) and keep him on it for another week.

Well that must have worked because he has had the best week ever! he seems much happier, I've seen solid poops for the first time in a while and he just looks better to me. I just hope everything stays this way now that he's all done his medication. 

Maybe giardia really does just take time and patience to get over!


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## tippykayak

Hooray! So glad that Sawyer is over the hump.


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## vcm5

Poor Sawyer! I've had Giardia and it sucks! It really can stick around for a long time haha, I know that from experience!


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## flatlanders

*Follow Up*

Hi! I know this is many years later, but I am currently going through finding out the diagnosis and coming to terms with the lifestyle our puppy will have to have compared to the one I envisioned for him (camping, etc.). I would hate for him to be the reason other dogs get infected. How was life after treatment like for you and for Sawyer? I would appreciate any insight into this. I hope this reply is not upsetting in any way to you. Thank you.


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## Sweet Girl

I'm not the owner of Sawyer, but I had a pup who had giardia and coccidia. Once she was well, she was totally fine! It took several weeks to get it all under control, but once she was cleared, she absolutely played with other dogs. We compete in hunt and dock diving, and we just started tracking. She is an healthy, fit, outdoorsy dog. I never even think about the fact that she was sick as a baby. I wouldn't hesitate to take her camping. We regularly go for hikes, and she swims in ponds and lakes. Really, once the parasite is cleared up, they are fine. Adult dogs also get parasites, but usually, you never even know because their systems are so much stronger and just fight it off with no diarrhea. It's because they are so young and their systems immature that it causes all the tummy and poop issues as a baby.


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## mylissyk

flatlanders said:


> Hi! I know this is many years later, but I am currently going through finding out the diagnosis and coming to terms with the lifestyle our puppy will have to have compared to the one I envisioned for him (camping, etc.). I would hate for him to be the reason other dogs get infected. How was life after treatment like for you and for Sawyer? I would appreciate any insight into this. I hope this reply is not upsetting in any way to you. Thank you.


Your puppy can have a totally normal lifestyle after he is treated. Giardia is not a life changing infection. It might take a couple of treatments to clear it, but after he's over it he can be a totally normal dog. He can definitely go camping, swimming, training classes, out to places with you wherever you want.

I have fostered for rescue for 12 years, I have had several foster dogs with giardia. My personal dogs never caught it from the foster dog. Pick up after him when he poops and clean his back end during treatment, he should be fine.


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## sdain31y

Our two rescues both had giardia when they were young. The female had it off and on for about a year and half and the male for a little over a year. We’d use Pancur and it would seem to solve the issue, but sometimes months later their stools would get softer and softer. We also added FortFlora to their diet. I think alot of the eventual solution was they matured and their immune system was finally able to fight it off. It was the main reason we started to restrict their trips outside of our house and yard. We were trying to limit the potential for reinfection since we couldn’t pinpoint the source.


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## flatlanders

Sweet Girl said:


> I'm not the owner of Sawyer, but I had a pup who had giardia and coccidia. Once she was well, she was totally fine! It took several weeks to get it all under control, but once she was cleared, she absolutely played with other dogs. We compete in hunt and dock diving, and we just started tracking. She is an healthy, fit, outdoorsy dog. I never even think about the fact that she was sick as a baby. I wouldn't hesitate to take her camping. We regularly go for hikes, and she swims in ponds and lakes. Really, once the parasite is cleared up, they are fine. Adult dogs also get parasites, but usually, you never even know because their systems are so much stronger and just fight it off with no diarrhea. It's because they are so young and their systems immature that it causes all the tummy and poop issues as a baby.


Thank you so much! I read your post at the time you replied. It was so reassuring to read that your dog had a full life despite having experienced parasites. Our dogs are *so much* better, are off medications completely and have solid stools. I could not be happier, and now fully believe we can have our normal life that we had hoped for. Thank you so much for providing me with hope, and for your reply.


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## flatlanders

mylissyk said:


> Your puppy can have a totally normal lifestyle after he is treated. Giardia is not a life changing infection. It might take a couple of treatments to clear it, but after he's over it he can be a totally normal dog. He can definitely go camping, swimming, training classes, out to places with you wherever you want.
> 
> I have fostered for rescue for 12 years, I have had several foster dogs with giardia. My personal dogs never caught it from the foster dog. Pick up after him when he poops and clean his back end during treatment, he should be fine.


This was so helpful reading at the time! I have to say I had some doubts, but now that my dogs have gone through treatment and they do not have symptoms, I worry less. They have their regular lives now and that time we went through seems like so long ago. Thank you! I appreciate your insight and sense of reality when facing a parasitic infection. Thank you so much.


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## flatlanders

That can be really tough to deal with, especially for that long. I thought 4-6 months was long enough. Even though our dogs are not having diarrhea, I will do my best to make sure that a) they do not smell other dog poop or keep their muzzles in a spot in the grass for too long, and b) to pick up their stools after they go, just in case. Thank you for the reply!


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## Lil_Burke

Hi everyone. I haven’t been on this forum in sooooo long but I got an email notification on this thread so I thought I would jump back in to say that Sawyer never had another Giardia outbreak after this one cleared up. He is almost 8 years old (next month) and lives a normal, happy, healthy life. He’s not much into playing with other dogs these days but he definitely enjoys their company.


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