I really need more Giardia help.

• 02-19-2008 9:42 AM

  jenn52 Joined on 08-11-2007 Ventura County, CA Posts 322 Points 80

  I really need more Giardia help. Reply Contact I am at a loss. I feel so bad for Rory. While she has normal poops most of the time, I think she poops more than she probably should. She never finishes her food, unless it's our fresh cooked food. i am scared shes not getting enough nutrients. We've gone through Flagyl and two rounds of Panacur. I tried the greatdaneladys thing but Rory wouldnt eat if I put the MSM stuff in. if her next fecal doesnt come back clean, which I'm sure it won't, the vet wants to try giving her the vaccine, but I don't know what that will do. Should I be feeding her anything special? Do I really need to bathe her everyday? We already confine her potty area and only have her going on puppy pads so it can be cleaned up easy and not spread. A natural pet store suggested this herbal remedy for giardia, but I'm nervous to use it without being under a doctor. Is her little body gonna be okay? She's only 8 months and she was diagnosed 3 months ago. It's not preventing her growth is it? I just want her to be well.

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• 02-19-2008 10:10 AM

  In reply to jenn52

  corgipower Joined on 09-10-2007 new jersey Posts 763 Points 0

  Re: I really need more Giardia help. Reply Contact I don't know the history here, but...I would look into things that can cause a weak immune system. Act like the giardia is a symptom of something else going on. If the immune system is strong, they shouldn't have that much trouble with giardia. The other suggestion I have is to bleach the potty area. Some bleach mixed with water in a sprayer. Spray it at a time when the dog won't be out on it right after. Once it soaks in, veaporates and dries out, it's safe for the dog to be out. Proud member of the tenth place CISRA 2008 team!! tweleve.org corgipower.com My Dog Votes!

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• 02-19-2008 7:15 PM

  In reply to jenn52

  tzu_mom Joined on 09-10-2007 midwest Posts 514 Points 0

  Re: I really need more Giardia help. Reply Contact jenn52: She never finishes her food, unless it's our fresh cooked food Giardia can cause damage to the intestinal lining, so if you are feeding her kibble, it more than likely irritates an already inflamed G-I tract.  I would feed only canned food or homecooked at this point.  Also, damage done to the G-I tract, can cause malabsorption of nutrients. Adding a good probiotic/prebiotic to her diet would be beneficial, as well as something to help repair the intestinal lining.  We had good luck using a supplement called l-glutamine to rebuild the lining of my IBD boy's GIT. I have heard good things regarding arabinogalactin powder to maintain the balance of beneficial bacteria in the gut--you may want to check that out.  Here's a good site to reference on G-I supplements: http://www.dogaware.com/specific.html#ibd Here's a nice article on l-glutamine: http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/l-glutamine/

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• 02-19-2008 7:36 PM

  In reply to tzu_mom

  jenn52 Joined on 08-11-2007 Ventura County, CA Posts 322 Points 80	Re: I really need more Giardia help. Reply Contact Is there a book or website to instruct on home cooking for dogs?  If I go that route, I want to be sure I am doing it right.
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• 02-20-2008 10:12 AM

  In reply to jenn52

  tzu_mom Joined on 09-10-2007 midwest Posts 514 Points 0

  Re: I really need more Giardia help. Reply Contact This first site has a ton of good information, including links to other homecooking sites. http://www.dogaware.com/dogfeeding.html#Balance You may also want to check out Monica Segal's website--she has customized homecooking booklets you can order. http://www.monicasegal.com/catalog/productindex.php?cPath=25_26&page=1&osCsid=61770b5b7422981ef6d9635bdda7fd7e

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• 02-20-2008 6:57 PM

  In reply to tzu_mom

  terrierlover Joined on 09-10-2007 Posts 638 Points 0

  Re: I really need more Giardia help. Reply Contact I feel your pain and so wish I could be of some help. I went thru this for 3 months with 5 dogs and followed the Great Dane Lady's way to rid them of Girardia....  My dogs won't touch anything like the MSM on food either...  Anyway the only help I can give is "FortiFlora" you get it from your vet and it comes in packets. It helps balance the gut. I too add digestive enzymes and the L Glutamine as well. My Scottie really never bounced back from it and I took him to a specialist and now he is my IBD dog... He had good poops when I got him but after that 3 month round and round with not treating it the way the Great Dane Lady suggest he seemed to have crappy poops from then on.... :(  Good Luck

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• 02-23-2008 7:26 PM

  In reply to terrierlover

  lex_cbt Joined on 10-23-2006 Posts 18 Points 0

  Re: I really need more Giardia help. Reply Contact I had the pleasure of spending 7 months with a wonderful chessie who was first diagnosed with Giardia in October and he would improve then get worse for almost 5 months. It was an absolute nightmare what he went through. He passed 1 day shy of his 1st birthday after having seizures. He was a great friend! They did a necropsy on him and it said he had a prior heart problem and the vet said he felt like he had a bacterial infection that got into his bloodstream. All I know is if I had it to do over again I would have gotten another opinion from the onset. I spent 1200.00 in vet bills just to end up losing him anyway. :( I have to agree that there is more going on than just giardia, I tried the chicken breast/ rice diet, he gained 20 pounds from it but it didn't cure anything. good luck

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• 02-23-2008 8:04 PM

  In reply to jenn52

  BCMixs Joined on 01-10-2008 Virginia Posts 992 Points 25

  Re: I really need more Giardia help. Reply Contact  I have 2 dogs that have had different GI issues.  If you want to pursue a homecooked diet, you could do a consult with a veterinary nutritionist at a vet school if you're near one.  I only had to spend $100 for one with a Virginia Tech doctor and she was great.  The recipe was specifically tailored to my dog and his issues using ingredients we already knew he could tolerate and provided follow ups to handle the transition period and any issues that arise.  There's a website where you can develop a homecooked recipe and be assured that it's nutritionally balanced for only $25 each.  It's at www.balanceit.com  I used it to develop a recipe for my other dog Woobie whose issues are not as serious as Indie's.  Arabinogalactan powder has worked absolute wonders on Woobie.  Indie's getting the FortiFlora and I was able to buy it online. Hope this helps, good luck!!!  "I wonder what goes through his mind when he sees us peeing in his water bowl" Penny Ward Moser Save a life, make a shelter pet part of your family.

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• 05-03-2008 9:10 PM

  In reply to jenn52

  jenn52 Joined on 08-11-2007 Ventura County, CA Posts 322 Points 80

  Re: I really need more Giardia help (Updated). Reply Contact Just for anyone searching the threads for Giardia help in the future, we finally got a clean fecal sample. No more giardia! I truly believe it was the Azmira Holistic Animal Care Giardia & Parasitic D'tox that finally knocked it out. Used the drops for a few weeks and noticed a difference. She's been good for awhile now. Definitely recommend this product to anyone having trouble with giardia. Herbal remedies definitely work!!

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• 05-04-2008 1:21 PM

  In reply to jenn52

  BCMixs Joined on 01-10-2008 Virginia Posts 992 Points 25	Re: I really need more Giardia help (Updated). Reply Contact That's great!  I'm glad it worked for you.  Where did you get it from?  I'm sure having a link would help others as well.  "I wonder what goes through his mind when he sees us peeing in his water bowl" Penny Ward Moser Save a life, make a shelter pet part of your family.
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