How to sanitize Tallulah's environment?

[boopster]

I have mentioned Tallulah's bouts of diarrhea a couple of times... She had a parasite (signs showed up in microscopic stool exam) in February and was treated with Albon for coccidia. The very first dose ended the diarrhea, but I gave her the full course of treatment as instructed, and she was fine.

A month later, she had diarrhea again. Presentation was the same - she shows no symptoms whatsoever, mid-evening I hear rumbling in her tummy, shortly after she has a soft stool with mucus, and then hourly thereafter she has increasingly watery and smelly stools. No visible blood, no malaise. Her appetite doesn't change and she plays like she's possessed - normal for her.

Our vet was in the hospital, so I took Tallulah to a new vet. Although her stool test was negative, he said (echoing my original vet) that sometimes coccidia is hard to "cure" and doesn't always show up in a sample. He sent us home with Albon and once again, the very first dose stopped the diarrhea. He also had me take Tallulah off the Blue Buffalo canned and put her back on Cesars to rule out something in the food that might be irritating her colon.

Three days after we finished the treatment, the diarrhea came back again - same exact presentation. Another negative sample. This time he put her on Albon and Flagyl. Diarrhea stopped that same night. He also changed her food to I/D.

Two days after we finished that treatment, diarrhea again. A dose of Albon that night stopped it. Vet wanted to try the Flagyl alone, but the diarrhea was back the next night.

I had a consulting vet go over all of Tallulah's records independently, and she, along with the new vet, are leaning toward coccidia or clostridium - that either we are not knocking out of her system or she is getting reinfected by something in her environment. She is on a two-week course of Albon that ends on Friday. If the diarrhea comes back, I have a list of tests the consultant recommends. Both vets agree that the problem is serious and needs to be resolved, but not urgent since she has no other symptoms and they don't want to put unnecessary stress on her with some of the tests.

In case it is a matter of reinfection, I want to do a super cleanup of everything she's in contact with here at home. I've been cleaning the tile floors frequently, but I'm going to get a steam cleaner today and do all the floors and hard surfaces. Fortunately, she has not been in the carpeted area of the house, so I don't have to worry about that.

I'm going to wash all of her toys and bedding -- would bleach for colors (it's a weak peroxide solution) be safe and effective? I'm hoping that those of you who are breeders have experience with sanitizing your premises and can give me some guidance. I'm also going to confiscate all the shoes and give them a thorough cleaning. Any other suggestions?

[diannenet]

I don't have any advice on the sanitizing other than I bought a Shark steam mop about a month ago and absolutely love it. I don't know why but even though I'm only using water, it looks like my floors are a lot cleaner and brighter.

I hope you find out what's wrong with Tallulah soon. Poor baby, I'm sure she's tired of having diarrhea as well!

[107barney]

I would toss the toys and bedding and sanitize any household areas like tile with HOT water and bleach solution. If you want to save the toys and bedding, then I would boil water on the stove in a large pot. Turn off the flame and soak the toys for about 1/2 hour. Then I would wash in my machine machine on HOT water, bleach and detergent again.

[chestermama]

I would do an extra rinse on the washing machine after the bleach, Im not sure for the carpets unless you get them steam cleaned by a carpet cleaner

[AlicetheYorkie]

Hmm, you have great advice already here for sanitizing her area, but the only way she's going to be reinfected is if she gets particles from her poop in her mouth. Of course this is possible with a bed or pee pad, so those things should definatly be cleaned in hot water and a bleach.

If she's getting reinfected, it's much more likely it's happening outside. How often does she go outside? Coccidia can live in soil and if she puts her face to the ground and gets some of the infected soil in her mouth, she can get it that way. I'm no help as far as treating your yard, but maybe a tractor supply store or home depot can help with that.

You're vet is definatly right that coccidia is hard to detect, so don't trust a negative stool test. Have they considered another possible cause of the loose stools though?

[kjc]

Coccidia in Dogs Explained

Says to use ammonia for clean up and be sure to clean everything that the dog's saliva or poop may come in contact with.... or boiling water. They should build up an immunity in two weeks, unless some underlying infection is going on.

When you pick up the yard, you could spray ammonia on the spots where she pooped.

Bathe her after the last day of treatment, to remove any saliva or traces of fecal matter from her coat and feet.

Maybe ask your vet about using a probiotic to establish good bacteria in her gut... may help to flush the coccidia out.

FYI: You can use your Shark on carpeting too. (double check on Oriental or wool rugs)

You can also treat the yard with ammonia solution (plamts and grass like it)

[kjc]

You can also soak clothes/toys in ammonia solution prior to washing... instructions are on the bottle.

DO NOT mix with bleach...

[BlueBelle]

Clostridium I think is what grows when all of the good bacteria in the gut are killed off my antibiotics. Perhaps probiotics are in order, along with everthing else.