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Puppy giardia not clearing after Panacur. What are my options?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | English Mastiff | Female | unspayed | 4 months and 23 days old | 30 lbs

Hello. My puppy has had giardia since I got her in December from Petland. She has had 3 treatments of panacur and is about to start her 4th. Should the giardia be gone by now? Is there something else that I can do to get rid of it?

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

Veterinarian

Published on March 1st, 2019

Most giardia does respond to panacur. Many vets will also combine this with metronidazole if they cannot get the parasite to clear. Retest the giardia after 6 weeks from the last treatment to see if the parasite is still present.
I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Published on March 5th, 2020
The 2 drugs mentioned are the most effective ones used to treat Giardiasis. They can be used concurrently for stubborn infections. It is possible Moses is reinfecting himself. Be sure to clean up any stool immediately after he is done. Hard surfaces can be disinfected with a bleach and water solution. He should also be bathed to remove any infectious cysts that may be on his coat. Feed a bland or easily digestible diet until his stool is normal. Support his gut health with a veterinary probiotic such as FortiFlora, ProStora or ProViable.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Jenny, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on December 23rd, 2017
There is actually more than one mediation that can treat this, metronidazole or fenbendazole. If a round of each has been used, then the best option is a bland diet such as Science diet I/D and a probiotic. This allows the healthy bacteria to populate to help control and rid the infection in a different manner
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Amber Da Silva, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on August 17th, 2017
Giardia can sometimes be difficult to get rid of completely although I have had good success using a combination of Metronidazole and Fenbendazole. Metronidazole is only available through licensed veterinarians. It is also important to bathe all the dogs and clean the environment well, as they can continue to reinfect themselves and each other. A solution of bleach (1 part bleach to 32 parts water) sprayed on the contaminated surface and allowed to sit for 1 minute will kill Giardia. Finally, Giardia can be transmitted to people, so good hygiene and hand washing is important.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Related Questions

My puppy's giardia isn't clearing. How many treatments are needed?

It sounds like you are doing everything right. I would keep treating her if she still has cysts in the stools. When they "clear" the giardia is completely dependent on the dog. There is not cut and dry answer to that question. Same goes with how many rounds of treatment they will need. Some puppies clear it with one course of medication. Others take months of treatment. Just keep working closely with your vet. Here is a link to more information about giardia in dogs. I think you should consider using a probiotic along with treatment. Any probiotic made for dogs would be OK but I highly recommend you use Fortiflora. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/giardia-in-dogs https://www.allivet.com/p-1130-purina-pro-plan-veterinary-diets-fortiflora-dog-supplement-box-of-30.aspx

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My dog has Giardia, Flagyl not working. Need a second opinion?

Giardia can be a little challenging to resolve, but I'm not sure why it would take months. It is possible for dogs to reinfect themselves, so that may be your veterinarian's concern if Kipper had a severe infection. Flagyl (which you spelled correctly) does not always work, so sometimes we combine it with Fenbendazole for better results. I am attaching a link to a handout below with more information about Giardia. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2386 I sympathize with Kipper not being able to go to daycare. My youngest dog lives to go to daycare with his friends. I would ask your veterinarian why they think this will take months to resolve with the new medication and what testing you should be doing to make sure the infection is improving and that there isn't another problem going on. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My puppy's diarrhea won't stop after Panacur and special food.

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.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My dog has diarrhea. Should I give Panacur if the vet didn't test him?

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.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My puppy has Giardia and UTI. Do Panacur and Doxycycline mix?

The doxycycline will not compromise or interact with the panacur. You need to give the panacur for the time frama specified by your veterinarian, which is usually 5 days, but sometimes can be necessary for a longer period of time.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

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

Be patient and try not to panic. It is normal for stool to change during treatment for any parasitic infection. You may have better success using a very digestible prescription diet like Hills I/D for a few weeks while you're dealing with the Panacur treatment, and I would recommend adding canine probiotics to the food as well to help repopulate good gut bacteria. Finish the Panacur as prescribed. Pepper's stool will normalize with time.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog has Giardia. Why is his diarrhea not going away with meds?

Ths can be a tricky disease to get rid of. The diarrhea caused by Giardia can lead to colitis, an inflammation in the bowel wall, which can make the diarrhea worse and/or persist despite the treatment. You will need to make sure you are cleaning up all of Kenai’s feces daily so that he does not become reinfected. It may also be helpful to ask your veterinarian about adding a probiotic to Kenai’s treatment plan. This can help the diarrhea clear up more quickly. And finally, it may be worth retesting Kenai’s feces to make sure nothing else is going on. He may need an additional antibiotic to help clear up the diarrhea. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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