Giardia in dogs

Overview

Giardia is a very small parasite that attacks the lining of the guts

and causes diarrhoea.

Giardia spreads in poo. Dogs commonly catch giardia from

contaminated food, water or from the world around them.

Humans and other animals can catch giardia so it’s very

important to wash your hands after cleaning up any dog poo or

touching dogs with diarrhoea.

Symptoms of Giardia in dogs

Dogs with giardia often have the following symptoms:

Smelly, watery diarrhoea

Diarrhoea containing blood

Weight loss

Farting (flatulence)

Giardia bugs attack the lining of the guts causing diarrhoea.

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Eating less

Vomiting

Infected dogs with no symptoms still spread giardia in their poo;

this is a disease risk for other dogs.

When to contact your vet

Contact your vet if you are concerned your dog may have giardia,

if they have any of the symptoms above or if they have been in

contact with another dog who has been diagnosed with giardia.

If diarrhoea is left for too long your dog might become very poorly

due to dehydration.

Book an appointment with your vet immediately if your dog has

any of the following symptoms:

Diarrhoea for more than 2-3 days

Intermittent diarrhoea for 2 weeks or more

Young puppy or an elderly dog with diarrhoea

Diarrhoea and other health issues

Diarrhoea whilst taking medication

You know your dog best. If they don’t have the symptoms

listed above but you are still concerned it’s always best to

contact your vet.

How did my dog catch Giardia?

Giardia spreads in poo. Dogs can catch it anywhere that infected

poo particles end up, e.g. contaminated water, food, in an

infected dog’s fur or in the world around them.

Giardia can hang around for months. This means that even once

an infected poo has been cleared away, Giardia bugs can

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continue living where they were dropped and infect dogs that

come into contact with them.

Humans can catch Giardia so it’s really important to wash your

hands after cleaning up any dog poo or touching dogs with

diarrhoea.

Treatment for Giardia in dogs

If your vet diagnoses your pet with giardia infection, they may

prescribe the following treatments:

Worming treatment

Antibiotics

Some pets will need more than one course of treatment to

completely get rid of Giardia.

Your vet may need a poo sample from your dog to help with their

investigations. It can be helpful to collect a poo sample before

Giardia spreads in poo and can stay around for months after the poo has been cleared

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the appointment to give to your vet. Visit our website to watch a

video on how to collect a poo sample from your dog.

If your dog has become unwell because of severe diarrhoea your

vet may decide to admit them into the veterinary hospital for more

intensive treatment (e.g. a drip to give fluids directly into their

blood stream, injectable medications, careful feeding).

How long will it take my dog to recover from

Giardia?

After treatment, your dog's diarrhoea should improve within a

couple of weeks. However, some dog's need more than one

treatment to cure Giardia.

Once your dog has recovered from Giardia it’s uncommon for any

ongoing problems to develop. Speak to your vet if you have any

concerns.

Published: July 2018

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