I can't speak as a breeder since I'm not one. But I do know that Giardia can be very common. Dogs can have traces of it in their system and when exposed to stress, it can flare huge in a very small amount of time. Most breeders regularly worm their dogs and give preventative meds for giardia and coccidia, but that doesn't mean that a flare won't happen.
Giardia does not mean the pup was raised in dirty conditions. It is found in almost all bird droppings and the spores then become airborne and can be found on most surfaces.
My Sissy has had it twice, the first time when she was 9 months old and again just a few months ago at 18 months. Everything the pup comes in contact with needs to be thoroughly disinfected with a bleach solution. There will be active spores in your pup's stools, so they need to be discarded immediately. Using baby wipes for your pup's bum and feet is also recommended.
I'm not sure what type of meds your vet is using, but it is standard to take a new pup for a vet check following a purchase and a stool sample is always part of this check. So outside of the cost for that, our meds were $25 and the stool sample is $18. My vet gives liquid Metronidazole (1 cc twice per day for 10 days) as the Pancur did not work for us. With Sissy's first bout of giardia, we needed two rounds of meds for it to clear. Stools should not be rechecked until after a month as the meds need to clear before they can be certain the giardia has not come back.
Most important is to make sure your pup continues to eat. Giardia can cause them to become anorexic. Good luck with your pup. Although it can be a bugger to get rid of, it is minor in the grand scheme of things. PM me with any questions you might have. Having been through this twice, I unfortunately feel like somewhat of an expert!!!
And before I forget, welcome to YT!!!
__________________  Sissy & Angel |