Skip to content

Giardia Cysts in our puppy

Basenji Health Issues & Questions
  • Hello all,
    Chance went in this past weekend for his 2nd set of puppy shots and I decided to bring in a stool sample to have some tests run. I just wanted to make sure our little guy got a clean bill of health. To our surprise the vet called me this afternoon telling me that our 11 week old puppy has Giardia Cysts in his intestine. :eek:
    There weren’t any real physical signs that he was ill (yet). This parasite is caused from when another dog eats an infected dog’s stool. This parasite can also be given to humans. Lucky for us we caught it and are taking care of it. Chance was put on Metronidazole for 5 days and then another stool sample. It is quite common for dogs under the age of 1 to get this, especially if they are with multiple dogs.
    The little guy really isn't feeling well today :(
    Things to look out for…Light colored stool, diarrhea, and loss of appetite. The vet also told me to keep our little guy away from children, other dogs and handle his stool with caution.

  • Aw….yeah, Giardia is not uncommon dogs can get it from drinking standing water too...and the momma dog can pass it to her babies. Let your breeder know, so that she can tell the other puppy people, and check the momma.

  • The vet told me that it can be hard to ditect and that you need a few samples.

  • diahrea is a common sign.

    My guys both received oral dewormer meds as a standard Banfield Vet procedure for their wellness plan.

    This is not uncommon.

    Caesar was always leash walked as a puppy and he still got it. Dont let your basenji eat grass or drink water off out of anything but your water bowl.

    I have found that the vaccines for Giardia have never worked for either of my basenjis. It is typical for my guys. I didnt catch it at first because I thought Caesar's diahrea was from the training treats.

    You are a great basenji mommy for bringing yours in for testing!

Suggested Topics

  • Puppy Ear Build-up?

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    6
    0 Votes
    6 Posts
    611 Views
    D
    @elbrant That's good to know! We are in Kansas where pollen and allergies are rampant lol, I am wondering more if that's what it is since the build-up isn't increasing very quickly at all. Seems to be worse after we spend a while outside.
  • Puppy Heat

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    9
    0 Votes
    9 Posts
    946 Views
    B
    much better!!!
  • Linatone (or similiar) for puppies??

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    4
    0 Votes
    4 Posts
    3k Views
    DebraDownSouthD
    Pat.. you know I saw your post and thought HUH? Then reread and saw I TOTALLY missed the itching sentence. No, I'm not tired! :) Agree with Pat, could be fleas, could be other things. I'd flea comb the base and see if you find flea dirt, fleas, scabs etc. If the coat in general is good, and you find nothing combing and bathing doesn't help, rubbing a little anti-itch med into the base and distracting til it dries might help.
  • Sick puppy

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    2
    0 Votes
    2 Posts
    3k Views
    DebraDownSouthD
    If you don't trust the vets you are seeing, please get her to a university vet for a second opinion. Have you talked to any of the other owners of the litter, or is she a rescue? When kennel cough is really bad, it can take months to clear up and the cough go away. She could also have allergies affecting her at night.. where does she sleep? Can you change where she sleeps to see if it's better?
  • Thought it was giardia…

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    6
    0 Votes
    6 Posts
    3k Views
    Chealsie508C
    Oakley will Indulge in both the eating of and rolling around in of poop…mainly horse or cow...we've yet to encounter a bird or cat poop situation...The sickos!
  • Puppy soft stools

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    10
    0 Votes
    10 Posts
    4k Views
    C
    Glory has been with me almost two months - she is a little over 3 months old. I have switched her from a puppy food that was high in beef which she was eating when she came to us to a food that has chicken and vegetables. The soft stool doesn't bother her - there is never a sense of urgency to go - she only has a soft stool about twice maybe three times a day. She has gained almost 9 pounds since she came to us - she was very underweight and very young. Right now she weighs just under 16 pounds. We're doing stool testing every 2 weeks and except for the very first test, they are coming back O.K. I'm concerned that she may not be processing the nutrition from her food or that she will have chemical imbalances because of the loose stools. Am I worrying for nothing?