Everything You Need to Know About Giardia in Dogs

With summer right around the corner you may be planning some water based activities with your dog or looking to board them while you go on vacation. Did you know that both of these activities involve a similar risk? Drinking from contaminated water (such as ponds or lakes) and being in a facility with several other dogs are two of the most common ways that dogs get sick with a parasite known as Giardia. But don’t panic, there’s no need to stop your summer bucket list planning just yet! While Giardia is incredibly common, it is not the most dangerous parasite or illness your dog can get. Today, I’m sharing everything you need to know about Giardia in dogs from infection to symptoms, treatment, and prevention. 

What is Giardia?

Giardia is a single celled parasite that can infect both humans and animals. It is most commonly consumed through contaminated water but can be easily transmitted from one animal to another. It’s also a zoonotic parasite, which means it can be transmitted between species. In other words, you could get Giardia from your dog and vice versa. 

How Do Dogs Get Giardia?

Giardia is spread through feces and transmitted when an animal drinks contaminated water, eats contaminated soil, grass, or stool, or sniffs around in contaminated areas. Dogs commonly become infected when drinking out of bodies of water such as ponds or lakes. We also see a large amount of transmission in dog heavy areas such as boarding facilities and dog parks.

Giardia is highly contagious, so if one dog becomes infected, it is extremely likely that other dogs, animals, and humans that interact with them will become infected as well.

What are the Symptoms of Giardia?

Giardia does not always show symptoms in infected animals. A lot of the time, a dog will shed the parasite through the stool and not ever show a single symptom.

However, when a dog does show symptoms of Giardia, it isn’t very pretty. In younger dogs, dogs with a weaker immune system, or dogs with a severe infection they may show symptoms such as:

• Weight loss
• Diarrhea
• Mucus in the stool
• In rare cases they may vomit

The most common symptom of Giardia is diarrhea and it can range from soft to extremely watery. Often, it will have a greenish tint and a metallic smell, have excess mucus, and can be bloody. 

Treatment of Giardia

Luckily, for dogs who do show Giardia symptoms, treatment is fairly easy. Once your dog is officially diagnosed with Giardia (typically through a fecal flotation done by a veterinarian) they will be prescribed a combination of a dewormer commonly known as Panacur and an antibiotic known as metronidazole. The Panacur will work to kill the parasite while the metronidazole will help to stop the diarrhea. Once they stop showing symptoms, your dog should be retested about 3 weeks later to ensure the Giardia is completely gone. If one of your dogs begins to show symptoms of Giardia, it’s important to get them all tested because the parasite is so contagious.

How to Prevent Giardia

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to completely prevent the risk of your dog becoming infected with Giardia. However, you can prevent it as much as possible by discouraging them from drinking out of any natural body of water or eating other animals feces. If you visit dog parks, dog daycare, or plan to kennel your dog, ask about having a separate water bowl for them rather than letting them drink from the community bowl. 

If your dog does get Giardia, you should be mindful to disinfect any areas where your dog lives, sleeps, or uses the bathroom. It’s also important to clean up any feces to prevent the parasite from living in your yard or neighborhood and infecting your dog again.

Note: If you suspect your dog may have contacted Giardia, consult with your veterinarian for diagnosis, treatment, and any questions or concerns you may have.