Getting Rid of Giardia: What Every Dog Guardian Should Know

Dogs can contract giardia, a parasite that lives in unclean water, and suffer the terribly unpleasant consequences. photo: AdobeStock

If you’ve never heard of giardia, consider yourself lucky. It’s a tiny parasite that lives in the intestines of most living creatures and causes the diarrheal disease giardiasis. Any organism can get giardia by drinking feces-contaminated water and/or by swallowing giardia germs found on surfaces or in soil or food. It spreads easily, but the most common way to get it is by drinking contaminated water in lakes, rivers, or pools (see the CDC for more information). 

Every dog professional knows about the nightmare of giardia and how it can move in and seemingly take over our lives. As a walker, trainer, and boarder, I cannot risk getting my client dogs sick, and I cannot jeopardize my professional commitments. And as a multi-pet owner, I cannot risk everyone’s health. Also, my nine-month-old Shepherd/Husky mix, Balto, goes everywhere with me. Keeping him healthy and my household sanitized is mandatory to maintain our adventure-bound lives together and to keep my business thriving. 

But even if you’re not a dog pro, no one can afford to set everything aside for weeks while you try to clean up the mess(es) giardia makes of your life. That’s why it’s important to arm yourself with information and tactics to deal with this nasty bug and get rid of it as quickly as possible.

While the types of giardia vary by animal, we’re going to focus on the one that infects dogs. The science is best explained in this article by the College of Veterinary Medicine, but basically the parasite takes two forms: the trophozoite that lives in the intestine and the cyst that forms around the trophozoite when it leaves the body through pooping. The cyst allows the trophozoite to lie dormant like a tick in whatever substance it lands (dirt, water, poop) until it is ingested by another living organism, at which point the whole cycle starts anew. 

What makes giardia so difficult to avoid and get rid of is that the cysts can live on anything and everything around us. An infected animal passes through an area, depositing cysts and then your dog travels through, picking up those cysts on his paws, on his fur, in his mouth. Once your dog gets the infection, he starts leaving cysts around your entire living environment as well - the floor, the couch, the bed, his toys, his bowls. This can start a never-ending cycle of picking up, consuming, and activating cysts, which is why it takes most dogs weeks to recover (though when Balto was infected I was able to knock that sucker out in 10 short days by channeling my inner Sarah Connor).

What can you do if your pup contracts giardia? Follow these steps to treat it and prevent it from spreading: 

1. Confine your dog to a small area of the house away from other animals.

2. See your veterinarian for medication and treatment and follow any instructions to completion. This is so important! Your vet will advise more, but I mixed Balto’s meds into a cream cheese ball to get him to eat it and it worked like a charm.

3. Sanitize anything and everything all day, every day, repeatedly with bleach (click here for a bleach/water dilution chart and here for the spray bottles). If you’re sanitizing areas where your pup will come into contact with solvents, Rescue Disinfectants are veterinarian approved to be safe and effective.

4. Mop the floor as often as possible. 

5. Do laundry every day using Lysol Laundry Sanitizer.

6. Do not let your dog interact with other animals, especially other dogs. 

7. Sanitize your car with a deep detailing that includes carpet and seat shampoo and sterilization.

8. Wash food bowls daily, making sure to get under the rims.

9. Bathe your dog daily, using this awesome anti-parasite shampoo. 

10. Wash all dog toys daily.

11. Steam clean any and all cloth surfaces in your house. 

12. Get tarps!  I know all of this sounds like a lot of work and, believe me, it is, but tarps turned out to be the biggest lifesaver. I lost sleep, forgot to eat, and was a basket case for the entire ordeal; but if I had it bad, poor Balto was even more miserable with endless, painful pudding poops - plus, not being able to be outside with his buddies, he was bouncing off the walls. It was about four days into this fun that I thought of covering the furniture and floors with tarps. That way, I could quickly and efficiently spray and wipe, which meant less steaming, less laundry, and less hassle overall. 

You may also want to consider some of these additional aids and preventatives that can help in dealing with giardia or warding it off. 

• Hills Prescription Diet Digestive Care. This helps with lingering diarrhea from your dog’s post-infection disturbed digestive system. 

• Pet wipes and anti-bacterial pet wipes. I began wiping all my pet’s butts and paws after elimination during our giardia nightmare and now still do.  

• Disinfectant and deodorizer. I use this veterinary quality product to wipe down areas such as my car, when I do not have the time or ability to grab bleach and such. 

• Natural dewormer: This is too good to be true, right? My FB friends told me about this and now I am using it daily as a preventative. 

• Probiotics. These can help with digestion and strengthen your pup’s  immune systems.

So that’s the lowdown on giardia. It’s definitely no fun for you or your pup, and I truly hope you never have to deal with it. But it’s better to be forewarned and jump on treatment right away than to let this nasty bug spread to others or take up residence in your home. Here’s to healthy dogs and happy sanitizing!