[quote=SharonSnowbird;4608865]
Quote:
Originally Posted by Scoobstersmom 
Lacy has just finished her third round of treatment, but I do not think it has been effective, her stool is still very soft.
And I understand that giardia is very common, but I don't think it is common for a pup to have to go through three rounds of treatment, but maybe I am wrong. And my vet said that some dogs never get rid of it and do do die from it. So, it is a REAL concern for me, and takes away a lot of the joy of having a new puppy, wondering all the time if my pup is going to be one of the few that ends up dying from it. What i am upset about the the most, is that all of this aggravation and worry and vet bills could have been prevented by ONE simple stool test from one of the puppies. When i pay $3400. for a puppy, i expect to get a healthy one, i don't think that is too much to ask for, is it?
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Sharon, I understand your frustration. I don't know how common it is, but my pup did three rounds of Panacur over a few months time before she cleared the Giardia. I do think most pups recover fairly quickly, but I can also see how it could be fatal for a small young dog as they are already generally fragile anyway. My little gal was initially pretty sick - lethargic with quite a bit of vomiting and lots of diarrhea. In addition to the Panacur, she also got Cerenia for the vomiting and some sub q fluids a few times to keep her hydrated. The good news is she's three now, and healthy and happy.
Hopefully she has, but there is no way to know for sure whether Lacy has cleared the Giardia until the vet checks a stool sample. She could have residual soft stools from stress, medication, allergies, maybe the food she's eating just doesn't agree with her - dogs have soft stools for lots of reasons that are not related to Giardia. Also, my vet has said the same thing - that some dogs never do clear it and become adult carriers with no symptoms. I recently had my Lucy in for her annual check-up. I brought a stool sample to check for the Giardia but my vet declined to test her and said we wouldn't again unless she had symptoms. She said that if we did find Giardia at this point, we likely wouldn't treat her anyway and that if my other dogs were going to catch it from her they already would have.
As for expecting a healthy dog - of course. We all have that expectation. As for Lacy coming down with Giardia, that wouldn't be a deal breaker for me. It's common and lots of pups get it. Many of the breeders here have stated that they don't test for it if the litter appears healthy. Since Lacy didn't have diarrhea until a day or two after she was in your home, the breeder wouldn't have a reason to suspect it. Of course that doesn't mean she didn't already have the parasite when she came to you, or make her breeder any less responsible. It's Kathy's not accepting responsibility or stepping up to help with the vet bills that is shady.
I sure hope Lacy is cleared by the vet soon. Be sure to let us know.
Diana