My dogs have symptoms. Could it be Giardia from another dog?

I am sorry to hear that everyone has been so sick! The one parasite that can transfer between species that produces symptoms you describe is something called giardia. You may consider asking your physician to test you for it. Other possibilities include salmonella, Cryptosporidium, and campylobacter. When testing my patients for these more rare diseases I use a test through idexx called a GI fast panel PCR. You may Consider asking your veterinarian to run this test. Using proper hygiene when handling pets is important as well as making sure they are not eating any forms of raw diet that can transmit disease. Best of luck and I hope you improve soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dogs. I worry that they have an infectious problem if all dogs have the same symptoms. It is best to seek veterinary care if the others are not recovering. I worry that they will become dehydrated from losing fluid in the stool and vomit even if they are drinking some. Fecal testing may be recommended depending on the exam findings. If an infection can be diagnosed, preventive measures an be instituted to prevent a recurrence. I hope this information helps!

Poor girl. Giardia can very well be the cause, but it can’t be confirmed without a Giardia test done through your vet. Other possible causes of dereased appetite, diarrhea and vomiting is parvovirus (if Khaleesi isn’t fully vaccinated) or a bacterial infection. I would definitely take her in to your vet at this point since it seems to be a continued issue that isn’t resolving with a conservative bland diet. The most concerning symptom right now is the fact that she doesn’t want to eat. I would recommend taking her in right away. If you can’t get her in until morning, you can try offering Khaleesi slightly warmed cans of baby food (meats and vegetables) to see if that will entice her to eat and give her some much needed nutrition. Best of luck with your puppy Khaleesi and o hope she is able to make a full and speedy recovery from her illness. Take care.

Yes. They can pass viruses, bacteria and parasites to each other. Your veterinarian can examine the stool under a microscope to help figure out the cause. Sometimes other diagnostics are also needed. Please feel free to post any additional questions.

It is possible for a dog to get infected with Giardia through that method. It is not as common as with drinking the infected water but because the cysts are small they could get in the nose and swallowed. It is not common but possible. If Snowie has any diarrhea, vomiting or anorexia she should get checked out by her veterinarian.

Hello, if it was infectious, depending on the virus or parasite, you can get an incubation period which may delay the onset of clinical signs. Additionally, the events may be unrelated. That is, Pepper could be having its own cause for the diarrhea. In terms of the metronidazole, Bella is safe to continue to receive it if your veterinarian deems so necessary. You could use a bland diet (plain white rice, boiled skinless and boneless chicken, and low fat cottage cheese) for 3-5 days to see if this helps their clinical signs resolve. If not, then you should have your veterinarian evaluate them immediately. Hope this helps and best of luck.

I would recommend monitoring the others for signs, have the fecals of all checked when done w medications. I also recommend picking up feces right away to help decrease chance of spread as well. If you feel more comfortable treating all at once that is ok too, and you can talk to your veterinarian about it too. Good luck