Is softer, lighter stool normal for dogs on Panacur for Giardia?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. You have been on the treatment for 4 days now from the sounds of it. I would recommend giving the food more time to help normalize the stool. You can also add in a probiotic such as Purina Fortiflora to see if this helps resolve the diarrhea as well. If there is still no improvement going in to next week, then I would contact the veterinarian you saw to discuss further options. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hi, after treatment feaces should become gradually more solid but it can take some time. THis varies according to each individual but normally within a couple of months, where you can have on and off softer stools, everything settles again.

Based on what you are saying, it sounds like Pepper might benefit from a probiotic in her diet to keep her more "regular". Organisms like Giardia have the ability to complete throw off the microflora of the intestinal tract, so the addition of something to right the situation is often required. There are several over the counter ones available at pet stores, my favorite being fortiflora canine. You just sprinkle it on the food once a day for thirty days. Dogs usually love the taste so it's not problem. It will be nice to know if the Giardia is gone after the retest, but I think the probiotic for now is the best plan of action.

I recommend to call your vet. Most vets are happy to discuss the logic behind treatments. Panacur is used to get rid of certain worms and protozoal parasites like gairdia at certain doses. It is beneficial however to know if parasites are present because some of them can spread to humans or remain o source of infection in the yard. Your vet will likely not have an objection to testing Clif for worms or giardia. You will need to test him however before giving the medication. I hope this helps to guide you and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi! I would say that it is likely ok. Sometimes it takes a bit longer to see results. If it is just soft and Snowball is otherwise fine, I would just give it a few days before getting concerned. Keep in mind that metronidazole is not always a curative medication for diarrhea but rather an antibiotic with anti-inflammatory properties that help with colitis. This means that it will not treat an underlying disease every time. Perhaps try a few days on a bland diet mostly composed of boiled chicken or turkey and rice. If no resolution within a few days, it may be appropriate to start her on a probiotic or try a different medication such as Tylosin. Best of luck with her!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Sprig. It will take some time for the medications to start working. If his stool does not show improvement within 48 hours or if he develops if he develops blood in the stool, I would let his veterinarian know. Otherwise it should be fine. I hope this information helps!

I’m glad to hear you got Grace in for care so quick. It sounds like she is on the right track and recovering. The soft bowel movements may or may not be a problem. If they are soft, but formed and she doesn’t have an increased urgency to get outside to go, then it may just be the high fiber that is in some prescription diets we might give for pancreatitis. I’m not clear on which of the Hills diets she was prescribed, but the changes to her stool could simply be food related. That being said - if her stool is not formed and is more like a cow pie, or if she does have to go out frequently then she should be rechecked sooner than later. Sometimes there is a trial and error to find the “right” food for a patient, and we have to try different prescription diets to find what they do best eating. Either way, her stool should be formed, and if it continues, a visit to your veterinarian is warranted.