Giardia

Giardia are single cell parasites.  They are protozoa.  These protozoa can affect pets and humans but there may be some difference between the typical giardia in pets and the typical giardia in humans.  Although one can have giardia and have no clinical signs (not be sick) Giardia can cause significant illness, primarily diarrhea +/- vomiting.  Giardia infections involve the gastrointestinal tract.  Ingestion of the giardia cysts can lead to an infection.  Giardia is one of the reason why people are discouraged from drinking water from streams or other sources of water that have not labeled as safe for drinking.

Traditional methods of fecal testing may give false negative results (the individual has giardia but the test did not detect it.  Giardia may be diagnosed with certain fecal floatation/centrifugation methods, or with a special lab test.  If the protozoal 'trophozoite' is seen microscopically, the diagnosis is certain.  If diagnosed based on cysts on fecal floatation, the diagnosis may be incorrect (a false positive), as other cysts or spores can appear similar.  Further, an infected pet may not be shedding cysts into the feces when the sample is completed, so a negative test does not completely rule-out the parasitic infection.   We generally rely on the special test known as an 'ELISA'.  The ELISA test has a high rate of detection with a low rate of false negatives.  It is a test similar to early pregnancy testing for women.

There is also a recent (last several years) where many dogs are positive on the elisa test but are negative on the microscopic test and have no clinical signs of illness.  Some veterinary parasitologists feel that in more and more dogs that giardia is becoming a normal inhabitant.

If Giardia is diagnosed it can be difficult to treat.  The problem may clear with only 5 days of treatment, but some strains are more resistant to current medications, and may require a combination of medications and/or prolonged treatment.  In dogs that are not showing clinical signs some veterinary parasitologists are recommending to not treat. 

If a pet is cleared of the infection, they can readily become reinfected and many do.

To help reduce contamination and spread of the parasite we recommend pets diagnosed with giardia be bathed with a regular pet shampoo every 2 times weekly for 2 weeks to help reduce transmission of cysts.  We recommend that the bedding be washed as well. 
As always we recommend removing stools on a daily basis to help reduce the spread of parasites.

It has also been shown that although giardia can infect humans and pets that there is some differences in the giardia types that affect them and cross-species infection is not felt to be as much of a risk as it previously was thought.

There is a vaccination available.  But, it may not prevent the disease, or it may cause the parasitic infection to be subclinical, and the pet becomes a 'carrier' for the disease.  For these reasons, we recommend against the vaccination, and do not carry it.

Heartworm and Other Parasite Information

	Heartworms
	Heartworm Heartworms are the most life-threatening canine worms, for they reside in the dog's heart and pulmonary arteries, causing heart failure and eventually death. Adult worms are 10 to 30 cm in length and about 1 mm in diameter. Transmission and life cycle Heartworms are transmitted by mosquitos. When an infected mosquito bites a dog, it passes him the worms' larvae that start to migrate until they reach their final site (heart and pulmonary arteries) in about 3-4 months; here they grow to maturity (macrofilariae) within a further 3 months and start producing larvae (microfilariae) which can survive for about 2 years in the bloodstream.  When a mosquito bites an infected dog, it picks up these larvae and can transmit the infection to other dogs. Disease Over time, the presence of the adult worms in heart and pulmonary arteries causes an inflammation and thickening of the walls of the blood vessels which leads to an increase in blood pressure and in the cardiac effort to push the blood in these vessels. As a consequence, the dog may develop heart failure, which can eventually lead him to death. Clinical symptoms usually appear only when the disease has reached a very severe stage (usually 3 to 5 years from infection). First signs consist of sporadic coughing and tiredness; as time passes, cough becomes chronic and is accompanied by difficult respiration, particularly during and after exercise, mild anemia and unthriftiness. In advanced cases, the dog may collapse after even light physical exertion. Most dogs eventually develop congestive heart failure. Treating Heartworm Infection Treatment of heartworm infection is a long and risky process. Dying heartworms as well as their larvae may determine shock and embolism. During therapy, dogs have to be strictly controlled for side effects, and their activity restricted for a few weeks. Moreover, in advanced cases, health will not be restored even after effective treatment. For all these reasons it is now clear why prevention is so important. Heartworm Prevention In contrast to therapy, heartworm prevention is safe, easy and effective.Before prophylactic treatment is started, dogs should be tested for heartworm infection; those found to be infected have to be treated against adults and microfilariae, before a prevention program is started. Preventatives are usually administered monthly, starting within 1 month from the beginning of the mosquito season (or the exposure to a possible infection, e.g. during travelling to heartworm countries), until 1 month after the end of exposure. Some preventatives are also effective against all other common dog worms thus ensuring a complete protection of your pet.

	Roundworms
	Roundworm Roundworms, also called ascarids, are the most common worms of dogs and cats. The adult worms are found in the intestine and live on gut content. They resemble spaghetti-in the appearance, being 2-3 mm thick and up to 20 cm long. How Roundworms are Transmitted Almost all puppies are already infected while still in uterus or acquire the infection immediately after birth, through their mother's milk. In addition, roundworms can be acquired from the environment, by accidentally ingesting the infective eggs in contaminated soil or by eating infected rodents. Understanding the Life Cycle of the Roundworm: The Key to Elimination Adult roundworms live in the small intestine of dogs, where they lay up to 80,000 eggs per day. These eggs are shed in the environment through the dog's feces and, within a few weeks, an infective larva develops inside. When a dog picks up the infective eggs, these hatches in its stomach and the larvae penetrate the stomach wall and start migrating to several organs before coming back to the intestine and develop into adult, egg-laying worms. Some larvae do not go back to the gut: they remain encysted in the various organs until a stimulus such as pregnancy, reactivates them and leads them to restart migrating and develop to adult worms in the intestine. Disease Roundworms are especially harmful to puppies, in which the migrating larvae can cause liver, lung and brain damage. The presence of the adult worms in the intestine leads to a gut inflammation, which affects digestion, development and growth. Common symptoms of heavy infections include vomiting, diarrhea, obstipation, colic, anemia, rachitic symptoms, poor growth and a "pot-bellied" appearance. A heavy accumulation of roundworms in a puppy can lead to death. Treating Roundworm Infection Since almost all puppies are already infected at birth, and are continuously reinfected through their mother's milk or through the environment, it is important to initiate the anthelmintic treatment in their very first weeks of life and to treat them frequently afterwards (e.g. fortnightly or monthly from 2 to 8 weeks of age, then monthly until they are 6 months old). Lady dogs should be treated concurrently. This will prevent puppies to develop the disease and to shed worm eggs through the feces, thus avoiding environmental contamination. Because of the extreme diffusion of roundworms, and the facility in getting the infection, adult dogs should also be treated regularly (e.g. 2-4 times per year). Many drugs are provided for treatment and prevention. Some of them are also effective against all other common dog worms thus ensuring a complete protection of your pet. Be sure to give to your pet the one that best satisfy his and your needs, in terms of ease of use, efficacy and safety (especially if very young pups are to be treated).
	Just a note, kittens are infected through their mothers milk, or other ingestion, not placentally as with puppies.

	Hookworms
	Hookworm Hookworms are common parasites of the small intestine of dogs and cats. How Hookworms are Transmitted Dogs can be infected through the ingestion of hookworms' larvae from contaminated soil or from larvae actively boring through the dog's skin. Puppies can also be infected immediately after birth through their mother's milk. Understanding the Life Cycle of the Hookworm: The Key to Elimination Adult hookworms live in the small intestine of dogs, where they lay eggs that are shed in the environment through the dog's feces. Within weeks, larvae hatch from the eggs, ready to infect the dog. After the infection, larvae start migrating, until they reach their final site, the intestine of the dog, where they develop into adult, egg-laying worms. Some larvae do not reach the gut: they remain encysted in various organs until a stimulus such as pregnancy, reactivates them and leads them to restart migrating, reach the gut and develop to adult worms. Disease Larvae boring through the skin cause a strong, itchy inflammation; migration through the respiratory system may determine inflammation and cough. Adult worms attach to the intestinal wall with hook-like teeth and feed on blood and tissues, causing malaise, bloody diarrhea and anemia, which is worsened by their strong inclination to migrate on the internal gut surface, leaving bleeding wounds that are particularly dangerous to puppies.  The presence of 500 worms can cause a 2 kg puppy to lose half its total blood volume in one day and leading it to death. Treating Hookworm Infection Since puppies are infected soon after birth, and are continuously reinfected through their mother's milk or through the environment, it is important to initiate the anthelmintic treatment in their very first weeks of life and to treat them frequently afterwards (e.g. fortnightly or monthly from 2 to 8 weeks of age, then monthly until they are 6 months old). Lady dogs should be treated concurrently. This will prevent puppies to develop the disease and to shed worm eggs through the feces, thus avoiding environmental contamination. Because of the extreme diffusion of hookworms, and the facility in getting the infection, adult dogs should also be treated regularly (e.g. 2-4 times per year). Many drugs are provided for treatment and prevention. Some of them are also effective against all other common dog worms thus ensuring a complete protection of your pet.Be sure to give to your pet the one that best satisfy his and your needs, in terms of ease of use, efficacy and safety (especially if very young pups are to be treated).

Whipworms

Dog Whipworms Whipworms are common parasites of the large intestine of dogs; they are thin and 5-7 cm long. Using their mouths as a spear-like sword, whipworms slash and puncture the intestine wall and feed on the released blood and tissue fluids. How Whipworms are Transmitted A dog may acquire whipworms by accidentally ingesting the infective eggs in contaminated soil. The extreme resistance of these eggs makes the environmental control very difficult. Understanding the Life Cycle of the Whipworm: The Key to Elimination In the intestine of the dog, the eggs hatch and, in a few weeks, the larvae develop to adult, egg-laying worms. Since the eggs are not shed regularly, diagnosis can be difficult and several stool examinations may be required. Disease Because of their feeding habits, whipworms can cause bloody diarrhea, weight loss, anemia and dehydration, especially in case of heavy infestation. Treating Whipworm Infection A number of anthelmintic products are marketed for the treatment of whipworms. A few of them are also effective against all other common dog worms thus ensuring a complete protection of your pet. Be sure to give to your pet the one that best satisfy his and your needs, in terms of ease of use, efficacy and safety (especially if very young pups are to be treated).