Animal diseases can be very dangerous. For example, giardiasis is one of the most common types of helminthic invasion, from which pets suffer. This is not only an unpleasant, but a very insidious disease. Giardiasis in dogs is one of those diseases that can easily lead to serious consequences. And with a long course, the disease can result in noticeable complications.
Let's look at the symptoms of giardiasis in dogs and think about how to protect your pet from this dangerous disease.
Exposure to Giardia
Giardia canis is a unicellular parasite that lives in the dog’s intestines without any problems. There are 2 forms of life:
The first are parasites protected by a special shell. In this form, they can stay for a long time, without causing any harm to the body. Cysts are very dangerous in that, penetrating the external environment along with the feces of a sick dog, they can live apart for a long time. Parasites are carried along with the wind or water. Stepping in the mud or a small puddle, the owner can bring the parasite into the house on his own shoes. So if your little puppy has never walked on the street, but likes to chew on household shoes, he is at risk.
Giardiasis in dogs begins when the cyst penetrates the body of the animal. The shell, dissolving under the influence of gastric juice, releases the parasite, and infection with trophozoites occurs (the active form of cysts). They attack the small intestine of the animal and damage it. Like any living organism, trophozoites actively release waste products that are very toxic to the dog. Damaged intestinal walls are regenerated very slowly and can no longer fully perform the function assigned to them.
Interestingly, trophozoites do not survive outside the host body. Going out with feces, they die after a short time. An animal with good immunity can not exhibit painful symptoms for a long time. Treatment of giardia in dogs in this case begins quite late. In appearance, a healthy animal already manages to infect other relatives with parasites.
Infection pathway
Infection of the animal occurs during walks. Dogs sniff around, drink water from puddles, ponds or other bodies of water. It is there that there is a huge number of lamblia cysts. Since the parasites tolerate low temperatures perfectly, one should not hope that after winter frosts the places of walking will be "clean".
If a dog licks dirty paws or genitals, and then plays with toys common to all pets or drinks water from common dishes, the disease will quickly spread between all pets. It is very important to start treatment immediately.
Symptoms of giardiasis in dogs are especially pronounced in puppies or older individuals. They have imperfect immunity, and the body cannot independently cope with the problem.
Interestingly, animals that constantly eat meat are much easier to tolerate giardiasis. If the animal’s diet does not have enough meat products, the beneficial microflora in the stomach dies and the parasites gain the upper hand.
Forms of the disease
The treatment of giardiasis in a dog depends on what form the disease is in. There are three main options:
- Sharp. The walls of the small intestine, damaged by parasites, become inflamed. Giardia actively multiply and gradually devour the villous epithelium lining the intestinal wall. It is this tissue that is responsible for the absorption of vitamins and nutrients. The dog is especially young, signs of the disease are manifested: lethargy, refusal of food, soreness of the abdomen, upset stool.
- Remission. After about 20 days after the first signs appeared, the situation would seem to be improving. Symptoms disappear and the dog feels better. This condition is very deceiving. It was during this period that Giardia actively multiply and completely colonize the intestines.
- Chronic This stage begins even after 2-3 weeks. The condition of the animal is deteriorating sharply. An unpleasant smell of rotten eggs appears from the mouth. This parasite in the process of life produces hydrogen sulfide.
What is the danger of giardiasis?
If the dog does not receive further treatment during the chronic course of the disease, its condition quickly worsens. The animal sharply decreases the body's resistance. The pet will often suffer from colds and infectious diseases. In the most severe and advanced cases, the animal may die.
Manifestations of the disease
Giardiasis in a dog is very difficult to notice at an early stage. Only in every third pet, symptoms become noticeable soon after infection.
The dog becomes lethargic, often refuses to eat. Attentive owners may notice flatulence or occasional thinning of the stool. In some cases, vomiting opens.
When the dog’s body is already sufficiently weakened, the disease becomes severe. Here the manifestations are much more eloquent:
- loss of appetite;
- belching, rotten smell when breathing;
- regular abdominal pain;
- constipation, alternating with diarrhea;
- dull hair, active molting;
- exhaustion of the body;
- eczema, wounds on the skin;
- conjunctivitis;
- obvious and cracked lips;
- increased appetite with simultaneous weight loss.
These are the symptoms of giardiasis in dogs. Treatment of the disease must be started as soon as possible. Better yet, carry out regular preventive measures.
Diagnostic Methods
Determining giardiasis in a dog solely by clinical signs is not easy. Other symptoms cause similar symptoms. For example, a similar reaction may indicate that the dog is allergic to food.
To accurately determine the presence of parasites, an experienced doctor will conduct laboratory tests:
- a swab from under the tail or fecal analysis is performed several times with a break of a couple of days;
- endoscopy of the intestine reveals damage to the epithelium, heterogeneity of the walls and the presence of damage.
Medication course
After the study, the doctor will begin to treat giardiasis in the dog. The treatment regimen will depend on the weight, age of the animal and how long the infection has occurred. The course of taking drugs usually lasts 10-15 days and ends with a second test.
So, how is giardiasis treated in dogs? For this purpose, anthelmintic, antimicrobial drugs are used, as well as agents that inhabit the intestines of the dog with probiotics.
One of the most commonly used drugs is Metronidazole (analogues are Klion, Trichopol). For dogs, 25 mg per kilogram of weight is enough. It is necessary to take medicine every 12 hours for 5 days. Despite the fact that this medication is used quite often, it has many side effects (vomiting, anorexia, etc.) and is not very effective. In modern veterinary clinics, they try to replace him with newer drugs. By the way, if the dog has ever taken Metronidazole, there will be no benefit from such treatment.
What else do vets prescribe
Other drugs are used to treat giardiasis in dogs:
- "Fenbendazole." This drug can be given to puppies starting from six months. The recommended dose is not more than 50 mg per 1 kg of animal weight. A single dose is sufficient per day, and the course of treatment takes 5 days.
- "Panacur". The drug is based on "Fenbendazole." One of the best drugs with virtually no side effects. It is produced in the form of a powder, from which a medicinal drink is prepared.
- "Albendazole" (analogues - "Vormil", "Nemozol" and others). The drug is given twice a day in a dosage of not more than 25 mg / kg. For the first time, the course is only 2-3 days. If there is no improvement, the drug is prescribed again, but no less than 5 days.
Also, veterinarians prescribe:
- Ornidazole
- Nifuratel
- Macmirror
- “Tiberal”;
- Enterofuril.
The choice of the drug and its dosage should be determined by the veterinarian. As a probiotic, you can offer the Linex pet or its analogues.
How to care for a sick animal?
- In order for the treatment to bring the expected result and the dog does not become infected again, it is necessary to disinfect everything that the animal comes into contact with.
- The apartment in which the dog lives must be washed with disinfectants. Chlorine is not suitable for these purposes, cysts do not respond to it.
- All accessible places are best treated with a steam cleaner. Parasites die when exposed to high temperature (at least 90 ° C).
- Bowls, toys, combs and other hygiene items also need to be boiled.
- The bedding should also be soaked in boiling water and washed thoroughly. After drying, the litter must be ironed on both sides or thoroughly “fried” in the sun.
- After staying on the street, the dog needs to carefully wash its paws, stomach and the area at the base of the tail.
- Make sure that the dog does not drink from puddles, does not swim in street ponds and does not eat anything from the ground.
- If there are other animals in the house, they should be isolated from the sick dog.
- Upon returning home, always put outdoor shoes in a special cabinet and do not let the dog chew on it.
- Once a quarter, show your pet to the veterinarian and take at least a minimal set of tests. This will help to identify the disease at an early stage.
- Dog immunity must be maintained at a high level. This will allow the body to resist the reproduction of parasites.
Is a large dog dangerous to humans?
Many veterinarians claim that various types of parasites live in humans and dogs. In humans, this is Giardia lamblia, and in dogs, Giardia canis. So a person from a pet cannot become infected with giardiasis. Nevertheless, the infection process has not been studied well enough. So neglect safety measures still not worth it.
If these parasites are found in your pet, it is important that you carefully follow hygiene measures. This is especially true for owners suffering from cancer, immunodeficiency or undergoing chemotherapy. The immunity of such people is very weakened, so infection with various diseases is easier.
Owners whose dogs are ill with giardiasis should wash their hands thoroughly after each contact with the animal. Never allow the dog to lick its hands and face.
Following all the rules and recommendations and carefully watching your pet, you can protect your dog from giardiasis. If the infection did occur, a timely visit to the veterinarian will stop the disease at an early stage.