Can dogs get sick from going to dog parks?
Dog park possibly made my dog sick. I recently started taking my very energetic dog to the dog park. Read More
How do I know if my dog has giardia?
Kaela Hudson
2025-07-07 18:27:13
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Giardia can be difficult to diagnose, as dogs which are affected often only have giardia in their faeces intermittently. This means that a test can be negative, even if giardia are actually present – repeated tests may be needed to track this little parasite down. Signs of giardia can be short or long-term, and sometimes intermittent, with dogs experiencing flare-ups of signs. Signs of a giardia infection include: Diarrhoea may be strong smelling, and can contain blood and mucus Bloated tummy from gas Poor weight gain in young puppies. However, signs are not diagnostic, and can range in severity. Some dogs can be infected and show no signs at all. If your dog is experiencing any of these signs then make an appointment with your vet. They can do a full physical examination, and check your dog over from nose to tail, especially as diarrhoea can have many causes! To diagnose giardia your vet may recommend faecal tests. These will look for the giardia themselves, which are invisible to the human eye.
Victor Sporer
2025-06-25 15:53:22
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Giardia is a tiny parasite that attacks the lining of the intestines and causes very watery, strong smelling diarrhoea. Symptoms include strong smelling, watery diarrhoea, weight loss, farting, eating less, vomiting, and diarrhoea sometimes containing blood. Contact your vet if you are concerned your dog has symptoms of a giardia infection, or if they’ve recently had contact with a dog suffering from giardia. Your vet is likely to ask for a poo sample to help make a diagnosis, so it may be helpful to collect one before the appointment. Diarrhoea left for too long can lead to dehydration. Book an appointment ASAP if your dog has any of the following symptoms: Diarrhoea for more than 2-3 days, intermittent diarrhoea for 2 weeks or more, young puppy or an elderly dog with diarrhoea, diarrhoea and other health issues, diarrhoea whilst taking medication.
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Okey McClure
2025-06-25 13:41:13
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Giardia infection, known as giardiasis, causes diarrhea in your dog. The most common symptom is diarrhea. Your dog will pass several stools every day. The stools are bulky and smelly since they have a lot of undigested food. Diarrhea can cause weight loss and stunted growth. This infection can also cause vomiting in some dogs. You shouldn't ignore diarrhea in your dog. Take them to your veterinarian, and they will do some tests to find the cause of diarrhea. The traditional test for Giardia is looking at the stool under a microscope. Giardia does not always cause symptoms. Many dogs appear healthy even though they are infected. Some dogs have intermittent symptoms and appear well most of the time.
Tierra Langosh
2025-06-25 11:36:52
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To diagnose giardiasis, your veterinarian will need to examine a stool sample. Because Giardia cysts can be shed intermittently in the stool, they might not be seen on a single stool sample. Your veterinarian may perform a second fecal test that is unaffected by the intermittent cyst shedding to look for other signs, such as Giardia-specific antigens, which are small proteins produced by the parasite. Patients will often be asymptomatic and still have a normal appetite and energy levels. In severe cases, dogs may experience lethargy, decreased appetite or weight loss. The most common clinical signs of Giardiasis include: Acute or sudden diarrhea, Soft or watery stool with mucus and a foul odor, Abdominal discomfort. Some dogs infected with Giardia may not show any signs of infection, but younger dogs or dogs with weakened immune systems are more likely to experience symptoms.
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Anderson Kertzmann
2025-06-25 10:18:38
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The most common symptom of an active giardia infection is watery diarrhea. The diarrhea may be greenish or yellow in color, or it might be brown, but it is always going to be liquid. There may sometimes be blood present in a dog’s stool as a result of giardia as well. Some dogs who are carriers of giardia do not show symptoms at all. If a dog is infected as a puppy, he may remain sick periodically with diarrhea until he is fully grown, at which time his immune system can more easily fight off the giardia. Giardia can make your dog feel lethargic and unhappy, and he may feel some pain or nausea from the infection as well.