It's a stomach parasite... dogs can get it from licking other infected animals' poo or places where there poo was, and dogs can also get it other ways too... One of the most common that I know of is from stale water, like puddles outside. I think I read somewhere that a large percentage of water puddles outside have giardia in them - so don't let your dog drink out of puddles!
It makes your dog have diarrhea in the early stages, and can spiral and become much much worse in later stages - it really makes their tummy hurt and makes them not want to eat or drink. One of the many reasons diarrhea is so serious and needs to be investigated quickly. Older dogs and other animals can carry giardia, but not show symptoms or become sick - but they can infect other animals with their contaminated poo. There's more info out there... my brain is too numb to post all about it, I'm on poo overload after a month of dealing with this... just search giardiasis in google, and you'll find tons of info about dogs getting it and humans as well. :-)
Lauren & Nikko |