Seeking advince on puppy.....

Introduction to Giardia Protozoa
If I had a dime for every email I received about reoccurring loose stools or constant diarrhea, I'd be able to buy a winery in the south of France. It is a frustrating situation for small dog owners, so you can imagine a giant breed with loose stools is no fun at all!

Honestly, after skin issues, diarrhea seems to be the next biggest challenge for pet owners. It is especially so for those who have adopted a rescue dog, or purchased a dog from a "less than desirable" kennel situation or pet shop, or purchased a dog that has been under great stress before coming to your home.

If it is a young puppy, Coccidia is often the problem and easy to find in a fecal test then treat with Albon. Coccidia stools have a very distinct sour smell to them. In older puppies and adults Giardia Protozoa is often the culprit, and it is next to IMPOSSIBLE TO DETECT because you have to catch it just at the right cyst cycle, or it is not evident there is a Giardia problem.

If it were me I would simply forget the testing and worm with Panacur wormer (info below). Nothing else works for Giardia, and Metronidazole and Flagyl only stops it for a short time, then it returns. Plus dogs that have the potential for the MDR1 mutation gene (Collies, Shelties, Aussies, etc. with the merle gene should not be given Metronidazole or Flagyl).

Dogs with access to lakes, ponds, standing water are more prone to getting Giardia but if you have a problem with more than one dog and you have a well, I would certainly have your water tested for it. Giardia is now a relatively normal organism in the digestive tract and when under stress it becomes problematic.

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Before you do you worm with Panacur for Giardia, also need to investigate the possibility of another organism called Clostridium difficile - detailed info in this article - Seasonal Diarrhea.

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Giardia Protozoa is next to impossible to find in a stool check. For some dogs loose stools are due to over feeding the dog, try cutting back a little for a couple of days and see if that makes a difference. For some it is a digestive sensitivity so a change to a better brand of dog food ,this could take care of the problem and adding a good probiotic daily, even if it is on the food already can make a big difference.

When your dog is on an antibiotic, understress or being wormed. It is very important to use a combination probiotic product that has some beneficial bacteria in it that are microencapsulated so they release down into the lower digestive tract.

After all this has been tried and it still continues...then it is time to worm with Panacur. Most dogs with a loose stools end up being treated repeatedly with Flagyll or Metronidazole, but is only temporary, it just does not work and the dog should not be left on an antibiotic for a long period of time, this is not the best choice for the dog as it destroys the beneficial bacteria of the gut and compromises the immune system. Long term antibiotic use also leads to systemic (whole system) yeast/fungal problems.

It is a very frustrating problem for both vets and owners. Giardia is a problem to young dogs due to the stress their body's are under during those first few months of development. Giardia is an enormous problem with rescue dogs because they have been neglected and compromised on many levels before they get into a foster situation.

I can NOT emphasize enough that giardia tests rarely find this parasite, because the cyst cycle of this organism it is next to impossible to find. I tell my puppy buyers to forget the testing and just go ahead and worm with Panacur under the guidence of their vet. Right now, it is the only thing working with success, but it has to be used twice.

Worm for a 4-5 day cycle - mix in their food, then worm again in another 11-13 days and they MUST be on a probiotic at the same time. Yogurt will not do it. It is not powerful enough to reseed the gut. Your vet will give you instructions on worming according to weight etc. Giardia has become such a big problem in this country, that I was asked to develop a support feed program to get the giardia dog back on track.

I copied and pasted this.
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