dyan:Wondering if any one ever had a dog with Giardia that kept coming back? And any suggestions.
Giardia can be very hard to get rid of. This article will give you a good idea of why.
It is important to keep the yard free of stool!!! Giardia cysts in the stool can reinfect a dog and start things all over again. Even if a dog doesn't have enough Giardia in its system to show symptoms, there can still be Giardia in the stool.
Safe-Guard (Fenbendazole) is a very gentle wormer that can help to eliminate Giardia. The trick is not to stop when the diarrhea goes away. There can still be Giardia cysts in the intestines and in the yard ready to start the problem all over again.
I would try something like this: Give Safe-Guard four times at 2-week intervals. Then give it two to four more times at 1-month intervals. With luck that will get rid of all of the Giardia cysts.
Giving Safe-Guard this many times can get to be expensive if you use the granules - especially with a large dog. The liquid (link) is much cheaper and will keep in the frig for 3 years. Don't worry about the fact that this particular bottle is labeled for goats and do not use the goat dosage (too low for dogs). See below for the canine dosage and get a dosage syringe for administration.
Administering Liquid Medication to Your Dogs (link) - Practice with water!!!
http://www.beaglesunlimited.com/beaglehealth_canineintestinalworms.htm (a Beagle breeder)
The recommended dosage of this exact product and strength for canines is 1 ml (which contains 100 mg active ingredient) per 5 lbs of … bodyweight. For example, a 25 lb Beagle would receive 5 ml (same as 5 cc or 1 teaspoon) per day for a 3 day period (total 3-day treatment consists of 15 ml which is the same as 15 cc or 1 tablespoon). ... Every Vet I have ever talked to says the correct dosage is 100 mg of active ingredient per 5 lbs of body weight given for 3 consecutive days.