Giardia In Dogs: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

If your dog’s digestive system has been acting strange, there could be many reasons. 

One possibility to consider is that he may have giardia in dogs, or giardiasis.

In case you’re unfamiliar with giardia … it’s a parasite. That means it feeds off other living organisms (like dogs) to survive. Once inside your dog, giardia calls your pet’s intestines home and creates a giardia infection.

This leads to weakening of your dog’s small intestine. It starts to have trouble absorbing water, electrolytes, and nutrients. This can cause malabsorptive diarrhea … leading to difficulty in gaining weight or keeping it on.

Your vet may want to prescribe medication for treatment. But drugs can cause avoidable and unnecessary side effects. 

So, you may be wondering: “Can infected dogs recover from giardia without medication?”

I say yes.

In this article, I’ll cover what you need to know about giardia in dogs. You’ll learn:

  • How your pup can become a host for this microscopic parasite.

  • How you can test your dog for giardia.

  • Why you should avoid treating dogs infected with giardia with prescription medications.

  • Four natural remedies you can use instead.

What Is Giardia?

Giardia is a very common protozoal parasite that dogs can catch. 

Giardia has two forms: 

The giardia cysts can survive several months in the environment … especially in water or damp conditions.

If your dog swallows the cyst, it enters his intestines and results in a giardia intestinal infection. Once there, it transforms to the trophozoite form and feeds from your dog’s intestinal wall. 

Some trophozoites transform into the cystic form. After about 5 to 12 days, your dog may pass infectious cysts in his stool.

There are several reasons why dogs are so susceptible. Your dog could pick up giardia from … 

  • Contacting the infected stool of another animal

  • Rolling or playing in contaminated soil

  • Licking himself after contacting a contaminated surface, like a kennel

  • Drinking contaminated water

According to the CDC, giardia survives longer in cold temperatures. Take the following two scenarios for example:

  • In water temperatures below 50º F, it can live for 1 to 3 months.

  • Meanwhile, in water temps that are 98.6º F or higher, it survives less than 4 days.

In fact, it’s quite common for giardia to infect dogs in the spring. As the snow melts, it can contain fecal residues that carry the giardia protozoa. If your dog drinks from the melted snow puddles … she could pick up giardia.

How long does it take for giardia to go away in dogs? The answer to that is … it depends on its environment.

Giardia is a difficult parasite to get rid of because it’s easy for your dog’s environment to stay contaminated. 

If you don’t take extra measures to deep clean her space, she may need more treatment.

How to Find out If Your Dog Has Giardia

Giardia isn’t an easy parasite to detect … so it can live unnoticed inside your dog for a while.

If you suspect your dog has giardia, there are signs you can watch for. Keep an eye on your dog’s stool for these clinical signs …

  • Unusually soft

  • Oddly or poorly formed

  • Pale-colored or greenish

  • Extra-foul smelling

  • Contains mucus

  • Appears fatty

  • Blood in stool

  • Watery diarrhea

Another common symptom: your dog may have recurring, intermittent diarrhea. Some dogs may develop vomiting. If the infection lasts a few weeks, your dog may experience weight loss due to the vomiting and severe diarrhea.

If you think your dog might have giardia, contact your holistic vet. You can bring a stool sample to get tested. Collect a sample using the following four-step process recommended by canine herbalist Rita Hogan.

  1. You’ll need a fresh stool sample … nothing older than a day. So first, bring your dog outside and let him take care of his business.

  2. The sample doesn’t have to be big. Collect one that’s the size of about 2 or 3 sugar cubes. Use a poop bag to collect a pinch.

  3. For storage, place it in an old pill bottle that’s prewashed. If you don’t have this, any small plastic container will do.

  4. Label the container with your dog’s name along with your last name. This prevents any confusion at your vet’s office. 

  5. If you can’t give your vet the sample right away, store it in your fridge, not freezer.

Can Your Dog Give You Giardia?

Technically, giardia is a zoonotic disease … meaning different species can get it. So if your dog tests positive for giardia, can you catch it from him? Can your dogs giardia infect humans?

Fortunately, research says it’s not that easy for giardia to transfer between species. Even the CDC says the risk of human infection is small … because dogs and people get different types of giardia.

If your dog has giardia, just take reasonable precautions, like …

  • Washing your hands regularly (especially after poop pick-up!)

  • Cleaning your dog’s bedding, toys, food and water bowls

  • Cleaning household surfaces

  • If you garden, wearing gloves to avoid contact with infected poop

  • Keeping your environment dry (giardia likes damp conditions)

Why You Shouldn’t Treat Giardia in Dogs With Medication

In veterinary medicine, there are three drugs commonly prescribed to get rid of giardia infection in an infected animal. 

Sometimes they may even prescribe a combination of two of these medications.

But none of these three drugs is FDA-approved for animals. 

They can also can create a mixed bag of side effects. 

All these drugs often cause diarrhea and vomiting. And they may have other side effects, such as …

  • Fenbendazole: facial swelling, hives, and excess salivation.

  • Metronidazole: blood in urine, muscle stiffness, and dilated pupils, neurological issues.

  • Albendazole: low energy, lower white blood cell production, and convulsions.

Giardia can take a while to get rid of.  And these drugs also carry long-term risks for many dogs and other animals.

  • Albendazole can cause bone marrow suppression.

  • Metronidazole can cause gastrointestinal illnesses and allergies. 

  • Albendazole and fenbendazole can exacerbate liver problems 

And like most conventional “anti-” medications, these drugs can wreak havoc with your dog’s intestines and gut health. Because 80% of your dog’s immune system lives in the gut … that means it can make him more susceptible to illness in the future.

But the good news is … there are natural ways to get rid of giardia in your dog.

4 Natural Remedies for Giardia in Dogs

Now that you know the risks involved with medications, let’s talk about alternatives. Here are 4 natural solutions you can use instead:

#1 Oregon Grape

Oregon Grape is an effective natural antibiotic and liver tonic that can attack parasites.