Puppy with Giardia

[Tatiana11]

NO!!! My puppy came to me with giardia (I think it flared up due to stress). I had him on the Petsmart WEllness plan and they are the ones who diagnosed it. The plan covered everything except the meds. WHile it does take a while to get rid of it does not mean the puppy is ruined get the puppy started on meds and clean the area in which the puppy lives. I also wiped Armani's butt with baby wipes everytime he pooped. He is doing great now and I wouldn trade him for the world, he is my BABY and my best friend. Let me know if u need any other help Ill be happy to answer questions. O and it took 2 rounds of meds to get rid and no one in our house got giardia. Just clean the area with bleach. I also washed all his toys and bed stuff. IF the puppy is having diarrhea given it some canned pumpkin. I also give Armani yogurt everyday.. he hates it though, I am not sure why.

[LoveMyGirlz]

I think you are over reacting - IMO. I mean, most likely this breeder had no idea she has this around her house or that her other dogs are infected. If you haven't contacted your breeder yet, you should.
A) because she SHOULD pay you for the treatment(s)
B) because she needs to know so she can treat it at her house too.
If you don't get anywhere with her, then you have reason to to doubt her credibility, again IMO.
So,,...I wouldn't give the puppy back, unless its what you WANT to do. This is treatable, but may take a few rounds. If the breeder pays for this, it shouldn't be too much on you (besides a pain in the butt )
Also you should have a contract that states you should have your puppy checked out in the first...48, 72 hours (Whatever they chose), which you did, so there ya go....

[Sugar's Mom]

Albon is used to treat any kind of stomach upset. Also, giardia can be caused by drinking outside water or infected water and coccidia is often caused by the stress of these little ones moving from one home to another. but, I would let the breeder know. if none of the other dogs are sick, then it did not come from there and it's hard to say where it did come from. it does not mean the breeder is a bad person or her practices aren't clean, it can happen to anyone so don't return the puppy but let her know. she may be willing to cover part of the vet cost but most contracts DON't cover it since it is so unpredicatable.

[diggy4]

Originally Posted by NYCGAL1581

I picked up the puppy on Thursday afternoon.

I had the stool tested on Friday morning at my vet.

The dog was not in contact with any other dogs or walked outside.

The dog was gived bottled water.

I think it will cost me a few hundred dollars to treat between the medications and stool testing.

I just can't believe that a reputable breeder (AKC and member of YTCA) would sell someone a dog with giardia.

I feel lied to and cheated.

If your vet said it would cost that much then thats who is lieing and cheating you. There is no way it costs that much.....

My vet charges $19 for a full fecal exam. The meds should be less than $30...even if you have to go 2 rounds with it, it should cost less than 100 dollars. With this being soooo common and very easily caught I would not blame the breeder 100%, she may not know! Id call her and ask, inform her her dogs have been exposed and ask if she will split the cost.
I guess when I take on a puppy I look at it like this.....Somethings just happen and noone is totally at fault. When she took them to the doctor to get shots or dewormed maybe your baby licked the floor and got it there??? It could be a lot of things that may have happened. She may have no idea. These are all risks with a puppy on an everyday basis. My kids both go to school, play sports, shop, I do whatever I can do to keep them safe and healthy yet they still have both contracted chicken pox from school, get colds, get the flu, etc. It happens. I knew going into kids I would be paying a TON in Dr bills no matter what. As a matter of fact my daughter got chicken pox from the drs office! The kid before us had it and they used the same room we did....long story but a lot of kids got it that day. Happens.

I would just get the meds and do what you need to do for your baby. Besides if you do suspect this breeder to be not so on the up and up....why would you return your baby to her and subject her to possibly not being taken care of? I mean if the lady was fine with selling her with giardia, then she probably wont be the best person to take care of it either. Just my opinion...I wish you luck and hope your baby feels much better!

[Tatiana11]

I completely agree the fecal at Petsmart Banfield clinic is $19 and the meds were less than $40 for 2 rounds!!!!! Try a different vet if they quoted you that much. The puppy could have got it anywhere. Armani is constantly licking everthing off the floor.. I am always worried about him. The breeder might not know.

[CO_yorkie_momma]

Hmmm, I dont have any advice since I havent had to deal with this yet but I am sure it could happen to anyone. I am sitting here thinking all of the bird feeders in my back yard are not such a great idea since it comes from bird poop. Here I have been trying to attract the birds and am setting myself up for trouble it seems.

[diggy4]

Well its (bird feeding) trouble if you dont watch them....but seriously they can get if from puddles....other dogs....you know what I mean. If you enjoy birds like I do, I just hose my patio and grass down around feeders and watch Diggy and Bella close. I love my birds, got my first hummingbird of the year yesterday evening I was sooo happy! Bella actually enjoys sitting in the windows and watching the birds she doesnt bark or anything just watches peacefully. I say keep your feeders.....maybe just distract dogs from the area and hose it down....I just do it when i am watering flowers.

[JoyRenee]

I certainly would not get rid of your new puppy. With me, the moment they are in my arms and are mine, I fall instantly in love. My first Yorkie had worms and ear mites.. Very treatable, just did the meds and such and all was good. My Daughter then purchased from a different breeder had slight trachea problem and ear mites. But never the less, we contacted both breeders. and let them know but we didnt even ask for part of vet bills. They were our babies and just like any mom. We took care of what was needed. Especially since it is so treatable. (except the trachea prob.)
My other daughter purchased a Male Yorkie and poor thing, he had coccidia, Kennel cough, reg. worms. Bless his heart, he was harder.. but now.. OH My he is a VERY HEALTHY Guy and just gorgeous with such a wonderful tempermant. We could not imangine not having any of these 3
The other two are Both EXTREMELY healthy except the one has mild trachea prob. but the vet said its not anything to be concerned with because its just slight. But she was being spayed anyway. Not that she would have bred her.
The point is. Many of us have had problems with our babies even right after recieving them. So, I would def. say "Keep" it

[CO_yorkie_momma]

Originally Posted by diggy4

Well its (bird feeding) trouble if you dont watch them....but seriously they can get if from puddles....other dogs....you know what I mean. If you enjoy birds like I do, I just hose my patio and grass down around feeders and watch Diggy and Bella close. I love my birds, got my first hummingbird of the year yesterday evening I was sooo happy! Bella actually enjoys sitting in the windows and watching the birds she doesnt bark or anything just watches peacefully. I say keep your feeders.....maybe just distract dogs from the area and hose it down....I just do it when i am watering flowers.

I do enjoy the birds and the bird feeders but those monkeys are constantly under the bird feeders eating what I thought was the fallen seeds but I imagine there may be some poop in there too. Scary thought.

[NYCGAL1581]

Can I mop the floor with bleach? Is that safe?

Should I wash the blankets, toys, etc with tide? or bleach?

I want to do all I can to make sure she does not get infected again.

Any tips?

[diggy4]

Yes, plain water with a lil bleach is fine....make sure you let it dry before allowing her on it....and yes wash toys and blankets. Change water anf food frequently and enjoy your baby!!!! I am sure she will do great with a lil help!!

[YTRescue2]

You need to wash the pups rear everytime it has a BM keep the coat very clean, I would advise cutting some of the hair around that area to make it easier to clean up. I would use some disposable potty pads so you can toss them for easy clean up
No reason this dog should be returned to a breeder, it should actually be cared for by the person who committed to the puppy without a blink of an eye, I find it hard to believe how quick the person who committed to the pup forgets that it is a committment on their side when they decided to adopt that pup. They immeadiately want to hand it back to the breeder, folks its a life you committed too.
After working years of rescue/breeding/showing, I feel that both breeders and owners are responsbile for the pup. Everyone wants to blame the breeders for everything.
I think we need to really understand committment before we make a purchase. Its like a child, would you even question if you adopted a child and an issue arose or would you simply treat the problem? This is your 4 legged furry child
The cost for treating this should not be a big costs. I agree if a vet is charging you that much I would find a different vet who is not making a killing on such a common and easily treated condition. You can look up on albon here and this is a big bottle this could treat many many dogs.
http://www.1800petmeds.com/pdetail.asp?SK=10336

and see the prices for Panacur and Albon and Flagyl is .26 cents a pill, very cheap med also look and see how much he is making off these meds. I would let your vet know you are aware of the cost of meds and are very concerned about being charged a fair price.
And as far as stool checks, half the time it doesn't show in the samples.
So thats why you can get a pup with it from a very reputable person.

TJ

[LuvMySissy]

Originally Posted by NYCGAL1581

Can I mop the floor with bleach? Is that safe?

Should I wash the blankets, toys, etc with tide? or bleach?

I want to do all I can to make sure she does not get infected again.

Any tips?

You can throw all the blankets & toys right into the washing machine. Use your regular detergent, but add some bleach as well. The floors, bowls, kennel (if you use one) should all be disinfected with at least a 10% bleach solution. Make sure the surfaces are completely dry before you let your baby walk on it again. I would also invest in some baby wipes and begin wiping the bum (and paws if they go outside) as an extra precaution.

My vet did tell me that once your pup has had Giardia, they are much more susceptible to getting it again. All the more reason to be vigilant with baby wipes.

[autumn star]

Autumn had giardia. She took meds for 10 days and was good to go. I wouldnt return the puppy!
Who did you get her from?

[Donna Jean]

It is not a big deal to treat a puppy with Giardia, it is sad when the pup has is but is not a reason to send the puppy back.

I always suggest that the new puppy owners, give their puppy bottled water, as a change in the water could cause Giardia, or a dirty puddle, or bird droppings, many things can cause it and they can reinfect themselves, if every thing is not kept very clean. Use about a 1/2 bleach in your mop water when cleaning up the mess. Also use it in the washer when cleaning anything like the blankets the puppy had been using. You might also want to get some soothing butt cream from your Vet, as his little bottom is probably sore from the diarrhea.

Coccidia is a whole different parasite, it is caused from stress, and often young puppies get it when changing homes. Albon is a sulfur drug that is give 2 times a day for two weeks, sometimes the fecal smear does not always show up at the Vet's office. Coccidia really smells very, very, bad you can not miss it.

Giardia generally looks like miniature pancakes when the puppy poops. It does not have the odor that coccidia has, and both require different treatments.

good luck with your baby, he will be well in no time with the treatments, and they are not all that expensive. Don't forget the soothing butt cream for his bottom. I bet it is really red, sore, and stings.

Please know i wish you the best of luck getting on top of this, your baby will be well in no time.