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Comment by Sky and Lyla on February 8, 2010 at 9:12am

Also, he started vomiting again in the middle of the night so I took him in the after hours clinic since I was worried about dehydration and whether this treatment was working. They did some mire tests and couldn't find anything other than the giardia. That vet did say that a side effect of the Flagyl can be anorexia and stomach upset. They gave him some fluids though becuase he was a little dehydrated. Keeping my fingers crossed that today is a better day!

Comment by Sky and Lyla on February 8, 2010 at 9:06am

He's on Flagyll right now, and I think when that is over if he's still not 100% I'm going to start him on Panacur (I have some here at home for worming purposes). He has been checked for other possible infections, I think the stress if his travel, being kenneled with the 400 other dogs in the airport, and having a Distemper vaccine all stressed his system to the point where this has taken hold really good.

Comment by Joanna Kimball on February 8, 2010 at 8:43am

What medications did they put Brando on? And can you get your hands on some i/d canned food (the Hills prescription diet)? Also, did they check for other bacterial infections or cocci?

Giardia is relatively simple to treat with panacur. However, it often occurs because the dog has something else going on, like a bacterial enteritis or coccidia. If he doesn't start feeling better VERY soon, I'd (personally; remember I am not a vet) put him on tylan and if that didn't work I'd get some Baycox or Marquis.

Comment by Bev Levy on February 8, 2010 at 7:53am

That is such a shame! I can only offer my sympathy but I would change vets too.

Comment by Beth on February 8, 2010 at 7:12am

One other thing you can try, though it is more likely to work in cats due to their obsessive cleanliness: put the canned food and some water in the blender and mix it til it's a thin paste. Coat the back of a spoon with it, and hold it under his nose and see if he'll lick it. If he does, great, and keep offering til he won't anymore. If he won't, try bopping it onto his nose and see if he'll lick it off his nose.

Sometimes once they get that first lick in, they'll eat a little more.

Comment by Beth on February 8, 2010 at 7:06am

I meant to say "thin" the food out with water, not "think." Can't fix my typo....

Comment by Beth on February 8, 2010 at 7:05am

Yikes! Giardia went around here in our city water (believe it or not) about 25 years ago when I was in middle school and it's nasty. Do you know where he picked it up?

I'm so sorry you are having such a hard time. You'll need to keep forcing water on him til he drinks on his own. When Alice was refusing food there near the end, it did help tremendously if I thinned it with water and warmed it in the microwave. It brings out the smell. Find a nice stinky canned one with liver and maybe some fish in it, think it out, and warm it up.

He's too young to be fasting long, as you know. You may need to take him to a vet who will show you how to tube him until he starts up again. Some animals will get short-term anorexia if they have been very sick.

They also sell a paste at the pet-store called Nutri-Cal. It's really just some complex sugars and oils with some vitamins thrown in; think of it as Ensure for dogs or cats. It's a paste, similar in consistency to cat hairball medicine. Sometimes they will take that if they are refusing everything else. It might get him over the hump.

Sounds like you might need a new vet. I'm so sorry you're having such troubles. I'm sure the flight with the long layover probably suppressed your pup's immune system a bit; even a normal move out of the original home is enough to set most pups back.

Comment by Sky and Lyla on February 7, 2010 at 11:53pm

Yes John, it has been diagnosed as Giardia. It is a nasty little bug for the doggies, and it can transfer to people too. Yikes! Lyla had it is a pup too, but she got over hers much faster. I don't remember her refusing to eat or drink like this (then again, she IS a corgi!)

Comment by Sky and Lyla on February 7, 2010 at 11:50pm

I have tried canned food at room temp, not warmed though. Might try that tomorrow. For the drinking I have tried mixing with broth and milk, doesn't work. This poor guy is just refusing it all! The vet is not open today, but I sent him an email that hopefully he answers in the morning.

Comment by John Wolff on February 7, 2010 at 11:50pm

By "Giardia", do you mean giardiasis specifically, or just random abundant diarrhea? Was it diagnosed as Giardia?
this s something I worry about because I cannot keep my dogs from drinking backcountry water.

Take a deep breath. It sounds like you should try some different vets. My suggestion: talk to all the local dog people you can find and ask them about vets. You just might find somebody who is not holistic but still very good. Talk to locals in-the-know.
I hope your dog is healthy soon; it must be scary and stressful when someone you love is ill.

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