Isn't Flagyl (Metronidazole) for giardiasis a five-day course?



The large intestine can be irritated and produce mucus even with the active protozoa remaining in the small intestine.


I have saved a suggestion page for the giardia environmental cleanup that I'll dig up.

http://www.metrosniff.com/content/giardia-protocol-getting-rid-giardia-good



Also:
http://www.ehow.com/about_6303687_giardia-prevention-dogs.html


Do you know about plain canned pumpkin for bulking up diarrhea? This should have one ingredient on the label: pumpkin (and maybe water). It's not the canned pumpkin pie filling with sugar and spices. I use a rounded tablespoonful per 50 pounds of dog, stirred into the rice. (Dogs love it, IME.)

And the rice .... you want it to be very overcooked (soupy) to the point where the rice grain is losing its initial shape .... the individual grains will have started to fray at the ends and the rice will be more like gruel than grains in appearance. All the cooking water should be given too, because the bulking agent will be in both the rice and the now-thickened cooking liquid. (Also, the soupiness will help a little with hydration, which is a concern with diarrhea.)


All JMO!

Really good information. Am wondering about the giardia--I live in Canada and the snow has just come off the lawn. The area is also considered semi-arid so, at present, no puddles because no precipitation. The temps. are only just getting above 0 celsius now. Are the cysts hardy at temperatures hovering around zero?

I normally give him pure pumpkin with his kibble but the vet had advised rice only until normalized followed by kibble only for two weeks and then adding pumpkin. I think I must need to cook the rice in more-than-the-usual water. Do I revert to the rice every time?

Really good information. Am wondering about the giardia--I live in Canada and the snow has just come off the lawn. The area is also considered semi-arid so, at present, no puddles because no precipitation. The temps. are only just getting above 0 celsius now. Are the cysts hardy at temperatures hovering around zero?

The book Environmental Health and Science Desk Reference says that they can survive 4
degree C water for at least two months. The CDC says "In the soil ... In cold temperatures (around 4ºC/39.2ºF), Giardia can survive for approximately 7 weeks (49 days)."
( http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/giardia/giardia-and-pets.html ) Sunlight and dryness are its enemies, rather than cold and moisture.


I normally give him pure pumpkin with his kibble but the vet had advised rice only until normalized followed by kibble only for two weeks and then adding pumpkin.

I would probably just ask why. I'm sure he has a reason, and I just don't know it. I'm not a health professional. (Pumpkin is mentioned here: http://www.acerlux.com/giardia.html )

But I do consider the rice to be the most important part.


I think I must need to cook the rice in more-than-the-usual water.

Oh yes. I double the water and simmer until it's like thick soup.


Do I revert to the rice every time?

How frequent are these episodes?

How frequent are these episodes?

At the moment he seems to be getting it every two or three days. It's a lot of rice....I will throw some pumpkin in there. I don't think it can make it worse. And he (the vet) did give pumpkin a big thumbs up.

Connie,

I've had success with a rice and yogurt mix, with food, with rice the most important ingredient at every meal.

And I have skipped a 24 hour eating period before beginning the supplemented meal menu. Don't everyone howl at once but a dog, just like a human, can easily go for one day without chow in the interest of health.

In truth, it seems you have find the combination that works for the dog.

And as a general note, if there has been any change in the diet of a dog with a sensitive bowl, the change in ingredients can trigger diarrhea. At least that has been my experience with my delicate dog.

Rice. And maybe smaller portions.

What do I know... I know I don't like to clean up the yard, that's what I know fer sure!

 Quote: Kim Winsor

How frequent are these episodes?

At the moment he seems to be getting it every two or three days. It's a lot of rice....I will throw some pumpkin in there. I don't think it can make it worse. And he (the vet) did give pumpkin a big thumbs up.

I'm not completely following. He is having episodes every two or three days and there's been no plan to either treat it as is or do diagnose it (beyond a single fecal)?

"The vet said to call back if the diarrhoea continued or came back. "


It's time. This is too much for the dog to go through, IMHO.


And meanwhile, as Mike said, small meals .... very small frequent meals. You know that, right, for diarrhea? The gut is very inflamed by now, regardless of the trigger (and I'm thinking I'd want to look for or simply treat for a giardiasis recurrence; JMO). Tiny meals every couple of hours to keep that gut as calm as you can.

His diarrhoea has been intermittent since we got him 18 months ago but, until the past few
weeks, the episodes were short-lived. I've gotten good advice from a fellow at work whose wife is a vet. He himself has a lot of experience with schutzhund dogs. His advice was fairly standard and aligned with yours re: rest the gut for 24 hrs., rice, etc. but he advised that I go to a veterinarian friend of his if it didn't clear up. I did that a week ago and got the Flagyl at that time. The vet told me to contact him if it persisted. The dog would go from liquid stool to nothing to formed stool over the course of 48 hours. Some movements would be half and half.

Yesterday evening I fed him the sloppy rice as per your instructions. I let him outside into the yard before bed but couldn't see what he did in the dark. I've just checked this morning. There are five spots out there. The oldest is liquid with two others like it. Another is half liquid, half formed and the one that looks the most recent is formed but really mucousy.

I will call the vet tomorrow but for today do I give him nothing or small rice meals?

Well, normally I would fast the dog. But in this case, where he is both so empty and maybe becoming dehydrated, I'd probably make the soupy rice and blend it in the blender and give him a little (a little .... like 1/2 cup) every couple of hours and watch what happens with the poop. I'd probably add more water to it, too, to make what amounts to a baited water.

Don't forget .... tepid. Body-temp fluids get to the tissues fastest.

Do you know how to check for dehydration?

I hope Betty sees the thread again. I don't think any of us understood the frequency of these episodes.