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| Giardia under EM |
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Giardia
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| Giardia under EM |
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Giardia was first discovered in 1681 by the inventor of the microscope, Anton van Leeuwenhoek. It was actually a self diagnoses as he examined his own diarrhea under the microscope. It has since be seen throughout the world and is maintained by asymptomatic carriers in the wild.
What is Giardia?
It is a protozoal organism. A protozoa is similar to a bacteria however it has an intracellular nucleus like animal cells; as such it is in a different Kingdom of life.
How does my dog get it?
Consumption of contaminated water or food. Symptoms usually occur one to two weeks after ingestion.
Am I at risk?
It is a common disease of people and is obtained through fecal-oral contamination. It is important to wash your hands thoroughly after touching your pet or cleaning up the feces from the yard. If you have further questions regarding yourself or other human family members, please contact your family physician at once.
How is it diagnosed?
There are several fecal tests. A fecal ELISA test is common and highly accurate and takes less than 20 minutes. It can also be seen directly through a microscope on evaluation of the feces.
What are the symptoms?
Diarrhea is the most common sign. The stool can be light colored, soft, mucousy or explosive, watery and bloody. Straining to defecate and flatulence (gassy) is also common. Additional symptoms include: nausea, vomiting, inappetance, lethargy, weight loss and lethargy. Most affected pets are puppies or kittens.
What are the treatments?
There are several medications used to treat this disease. Fenbendazole (Panacur) and metronidazole (Flagyl) are common.
Is there prevention?
The best prevention is to restrict your pet from eating or drinking contaminated food or water; that is your pet should not consume any food or water that you do not give him or her. When going on long walks or hikes – we recommend that you bring additional water and possibly snacks for your pet. DO not allow them to lick puddles, etc… To ensure the safety of drinking water, any questionable water for pet consumption should be boiled first.
There is currently a vaccine available against Giardia. Please note that it does not prevent infection but reduces the severity and duration of the symptoms and also limits the fecal shedding of cysts, thereby making the feces less of a contamination threat. Please ask one of our friendly staff members if this vaccine is right for your pet!
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| Giardia Vaccines |
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