Zoey passed the blood test but flunked fecal

susanwrites · 12-22-2012, 02:31 PM

Zoey's first vet visit yesterday was great. She charmed everyone in the office and they were very impressed with how well-mannered she was. They said most of the GSD they have come in are big babies about everything. Zoey was visiting with all the people, taking treats, being her happy self.

He said her hips, as well as he could check without being sedated, looked good. She had nice muscle on her thighs and she was carrying herself normally. If we ever have to have her sedated for anything else we'll have them xrayed.

As a stray the pound said they had to clean out a bunch of foxtails and we thought maybe one was still in there because she is really rubbing one ear every chance she gets but he said they both look wonderful and clean. We'll watch that over the next week and see how things go.

The vet, bless his heart, called me this morning with all the test results so we didn't have to wait until after the holidays. All the blood work came back 100% terrific. Heartworm was negative. yay!

That was the good news. The bad news is that she has whip worm and Giardia. He just called in a prescription for her so we'll get her started on that right away and I'm about to read through the forums on how to deal with it. It's my first experience with Giardia.

She was going to start obedience classes after New Year's but I've had to cancel that.

I love her so much already and know we'll get her fixed up but I'm also a little sad that we will have to keep her out of class for what sounds like 3-4 months while we get this under control.

huntergreen · 12-22-2012, 04:05 PM

the bright side is that this is treatable.

Doc · 12-22-2012, 06:02 PM

SafeGuard Dewormer for Goats (10% suspension fenbendazole) will get rid of Giardia. You can buy it at your local farm store. Treat for 3 to 5 days.

**gsdraven** · 12-22-2012, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by susanwrites

She was going to start obedience classes after New Year's but I've had to cancel that.

I love her so much already and know we'll get her fixed up but I'm also a little sad that we will have to keep her out of class for what sounds like 3-4 months while we get this under control.

Did the school or the vet say you should cancel classes? As long as she is not pooping in the school and you clean up outside ASAP, neither should keep her from attending classes.

How old is she?

I've dealt with whip worm several times. Important thing to remember is that it is impossible to get out of the ground so clean up right after she goes. Also, the meds can make her unable to hold it for a couple of days.

readaboutdogs · 12-22-2012, 07:00 PM

Seems like we had a family when I worked in lab they keep coming up pos for giardia, I think they figured out it was caused by their lizard! Can be transmitted to humans!

susanwrites · 12-22-2012, 10:06 PM

huntergreen
Yes, I'm glad it is treatable. The vet started her on Pancur (sp?)

Doc, thank you!

GSdraven - yikes on the whip worm. We scoop as soon as she goes.

The vet said to keep her away from other dogs because it was contagious but I forgot, at the time, to ask him about the class. Now they're closed for the holidays. Actually I'll call the place where they are holding the classes (our trainer works out of the local humane society) and see. Maybe she can still go. I hope so.

llombardo · 12-23-2012, 12:15 AM

I was in a class with a dog that had it...he missed a couple classes but came back about 2 weeks into his treatment. They informed us and it wasn't an issue with anybody.

Anubis_Star · 12-23-2012, 03:54 AM

Giardia is endemic in many parts of the country. Here in Colorado it is estimated that roughly 10% of dogs are chronically infected with Giardia but show no clinical signs because their body simply learns to handle it. Zeke had a severe case of Giardia when he was a puppy, it was simply treated with Metronidazole and cleared up fine.

Both the whip worm and giardia are easily treated, so I would be happy if those were the ONLY problems an adopted shelter pet had

BTW, Panacur is the brand name for Fenbendazole (which someone else recommended). it is just a good de-wormer that is very effective against both Whip Worms and Giardia. The normal treatment for panacur is 3-5 days of treatment which kills the ADULT whip worms, and then usually you dose again in two weeks to make sure you kill off any worms that may of been eggs and hatched after the treatment. Sometimes it is recommended to even treat again 2-3 months down the line, because dosing to the large intestine can be difficult. That ensures that all worms are killed.

It does take a whip worm 6-12 weeks to become mature enough to produce eggs and therefor become "contagious", so theoretically you should be safe after the first treatment as long as feces are kept picked up. However I've never specifically had a client with your concern and therefor don't know, so a simple phone call to your vet should do. Or even ANY vet if yours is closed, you can call emergency vets in your area and they should be able to tell you over the phone if a dog is safe for group contact 2-3 weeks after being treated with panacur for giardia and metronidazole. Both the clinics I work at would have no problem giving you that information over the phone.

~Emergency CVT

Anubis_Star · 12-23-2012, 03:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anubis_Star

Or even ANY vet if yours is closed, you can call emergency vets in your area and they should be able to tell you over the phone if a dog is safe for group contact 2-3 weeks after being treated with panacur for giardia and metronidazole.

Being treated with panacur for giardia and Trichuris (whip worm in dogs). Sorry, had metronidazole on the brain lol.

BTW, I am a little jealous of your vet's office. Trichuris is one of my favorite parasites (or rather, parasite EGG) to see under the microscope, and we see it so rarely here in Colorado

susanwrites · 12-23-2012, 12:19 PM

Anubis Star thank you for all the additional information. I am soaking it all up. The class was set to start on the 3rd so we wouldn't have a couple of weeks of treatment under our belt but good idea to call the ER and ask questions. I am on good terms with all of them after so much time there in the last month with our last dog. (RIP, Cassie)

How cool that you have a favorite parasite to look at! I can relate because as a native gardener, I feel that way about certain bugs in the garden.

And yes, I am lucky that this is the worst of it. She had a bit of a raspiness in her trach so we are still treating that with doxy as well.

12-22-2012, 02:31 PM	#1 (permalink)
susanwrites Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 140	Zoey passed the blood test but flunked fecal Zoey's first vet visit yesterday was great. She charmed everyone in the office and they were very impressed with how well-mannered she was. They said most of the GSD they have come in are big babies about everything. Zoey was visiting with all the people, taking treats, being her happy self. He said her hips, as well as he could check without being sedated, looked good. She had nice muscle on her thighs and she was carrying herself normally. If we ever have to have her sedated for anything else we'll have them xrayed. As a stray the pound said they had to clean out a bunch of foxtails and we thought maybe one was still in there because she is really rubbing one ear every chance she gets but he said they both look wonderful and clean. We'll watch that over the next week and see how things go. The vet, bless his heart, called me this morning with all the test results so we didn't have to wait until after the holidays. All the blood work came back 100% terrific. Heartworm was negative. yay! That was the good news. The bad news is that she has whip worm and Giardia. He just called in a prescription for her so we'll get her started on that right away and I'm about to read through the forums on how to deal with it. It's my first experience with Giardia. She was going to start obedience classes after New Year's but I've had to cancel that. I love her so much already and know we'll get her fixed up but I'm also a little sad that we will have to keep her out of class for what sounds like 3-4 months while we get this under control. __________________ Susan ~~~~~~~~ Zoey, white GSD, 9/1/11 (adopted 12/19/12 from German Shepherd Rescue of Northern California) Cassie, GSD 11/26/07-12/13/12 Chelsie, Border Collie/Spitz http://adoginmylife.com Last edited by susanwrites; 12-22-2012 at 02:37 PM.

12-22-2012, 10:06 PM	#6 (permalink)
susanwrites Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 140	huntergreen Yes, I'm glad it is treatable. The vet started her on Pancur (sp?) Doc, thank you! GSdraven - yikes on the whip worm. We scoop as soon as she goes. The vet said to keep her away from other dogs because it was contagious but I forgot, at the time, to ask him about the class. Now they're closed for the holidays. Actually I'll call the place where they are holding the classes (our trainer works out of the local humane society) and see. Maybe she can still go. I hope so. __________________ Susan ~~~~~~~~ Zoey, white GSD, 9/1/11 (adopted 12/19/12 from German Shepherd Rescue of Northern California) Cassie, GSD 11/26/07-12/13/12 Chelsie, Border Collie/Spitz http://adoginmylife.com

12-23-2012, 12:15 AM	#7 (permalink)
llombardo Crowned Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Illinois Posts: 4,938	I was in a class with a dog that had it...he missed a couple classes but came back about 2 weeks into his treatment. They informed us and it wasn't an issue with anybody. __________________ Misty- Samoyed Mix Tannor- Golden Retriever CGC Robyn- German Shepherd CGC Cats-Thunder, Harley, Miley, Bandit, and Ferah RIP Boo..Black Lab "A dog is the only thing on this earth that loves you more than he loves himself."

12-23-2012, 03:54 AM	#8 (permalink)
Anubis_Star Master Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Colorado Posts: 721	Giardia is endemic in many parts of the country. Here in Colorado it is estimated that roughly 10% of dogs are chronically infected with Giardia but show no clinical signs because their body simply learns to handle it. Zeke had a severe case of Giardia when he was a puppy, it was simply treated with Metronidazole and cleared up fine. Both the whip worm and giardia are easily treated, so I would be happy if those were the ONLY problems an adopted shelter pet had BTW, Panacur is the brand name for Fenbendazole (which someone else recommended). it is just a good de-wormer that is very effective against both Whip Worms and Giardia. The normal treatment for panacur is 3-5 days of treatment which kills the ADULT whip worms, and then usually you dose again in two weeks to make sure you kill off any worms that may of been eggs and hatched after the treatment. Sometimes it is recommended to even treat again 2-3 months down the line, because dosing to the large intestine can be difficult. That ensures that all worms are killed. It does take a whip worm 6-12 weeks to become mature enough to produce eggs and therefor become "contagious", so theoretically you should be safe after the first treatment as long as feces are kept picked up. However I've never specifically had a client with your concern and therefor don't know, so a simple phone call to your vet should do. Or even ANY vet if yours is closed, you can call emergency vets in your area and they should be able to tell you over the phone if a dog is safe for group contact 2-3 weeks after being treated with panacur for giardia and metronidazole. Both the clinics I work at would have no problem giving you that information over the phone. ~Emergency CVT __________________ ~Emergency Vet Tech Berlin vom Spartanville 1/13/13 Zeke 5/25/07 Luther 2008 - 7/23/12 "Take this trouble from me: Make sure my shepherd dog remains a working dog, for I have struggled all my life long for that aim." Max Von Stephanitz

12-23-2012, 12:19 PM	#10 (permalink)
susanwrites Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 140	Anubis Star thank you for all the additional information. I am soaking it all up. The class was set to start on the 3rd so we wouldn't have a couple of weeks of treatment under our belt but good idea to call the ER and ask questions. I am on good terms with all of them after so much time there in the last month with our last dog. (RIP, Cassie) How cool that you have a favorite parasite to look at! I can relate because as a native gardener, I feel that way about certain bugs in the garden. And yes, I am lucky that this is the worst of it. She had a bit of a raspiness in her trach so we are still treating that with doxy as well. __________________ Susan ~~~~~~~~ Zoey, white GSD, 9/1/11 (adopted 12/19/12 from German Shepherd Rescue of Northern California) Cassie, GSD 11/26/07-12/13/12 Chelsie, Border Collie/Spitz http://adoginmylife.com

12-22-2012, 04:05 PM	#2 (permalink)
huntergreen Elite Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 1,199	the bright side is that this is treatable.

12-22-2012, 06:02 PM	#3 (permalink)
Doc Elite Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,776	SafeGuard Dewormer for Goats (10% suspension fenbendazole) will get rid of Giardia. You can buy it at your local farm store. Treat for 3 to 5 days.

12-22-2012, 07:00 PM	#5 (permalink)
readaboutdogs Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: oklahoma Posts: 450	Seems like we had a family when I worked in lab they keep coming up pos for giardia, I think they figured out it was caused by their lizard! Can be transmitted to humans!

Remove Advertisements Sponsored Links
German Shepherd Advertisement