Comprehensive Guide to Treating Giardia in Dogs

For your dog to contract Giardia, he needs to ingest the single-celled parasite. It then inhabits your pet's intestines.

The parasites attach to the intestinal wall and cause a sudden onset of very odorous diarrhea. You can learn how to treat Giardia in dogs at home, but the best thing to do is seek veterinary care.

Your dog can contract Giardia by drinking water that has been contaminated, eating contaminated stool, or eating other things that contain the parasite.

Giardia is passed through the stool of infected animals. If that stool infects a local water source or your dog eats grass next to the contaminated stool, he may contract the parasite.

Weight loss and fatty stool are also symptoms of Giardia. Diarrhea, however, is a common sign. The stool may be a greenish color and range from soft to watery. It may also contain blood.

This disease is not usually life-threatening, but if left untreated, it could cause more severe health conditions to develop.

If you have a very young dog or your Fido's immune system is compromised, Giardia may be a much more serious concern.

How To Treat Giardia In Dogs

Common signs of Giardia include:

• weight loss
• diarrhea
• vomiting
• inability to gain weight

If your dog shows any of these signs, you should schedule an appointment with your veterinarian immediately.

While these symptoms could point to Giardia in dogs, they could also signify another parasite or a more severe health issue.

Unfortunately, no home remedy has been proven to treat Giardia in dogs effectively.

You can buy over-the-counter anti-parasitic medications for your pet, but these may not be 100% effective either.

Oregon grape is a natural antibiotic that could be used to treat Giardia in dogs. The recommended dosage instructions are 12 drops for every 20 pounds of body weight daily.

Cloves contain an active ingredient called Eugenol. This substance has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.

While it may be safe for your dog in small doses, if you administer too much, it could be toxic.

Some holistic veterinarians say that giving your dog 1 clove for every 10 pounds of body weight per day could cure Giardia.

Garlic is another home remedy that has been shown to get rid of certain parasites. However, this is another ingredient that could be toxic to your dog if you feed him too much.

Garlic offers many benefits for dogs, but you need to administer it properly.

The maximum recommended daily dosage is:

• Small dogs – up to ¼ clove
• Medium dogs – ½ clove
• Large dogs – up to ¾ clove
• Giant breeds – up to 1 clove

I recommend seeing your veterinarian for medical treatment to ensure that your dog's parasite problem is taken care of as soon as possible.

They will prescribe an anti-parasitic that is proven to work to remove the pests from your dog's system within hours.