Riika Posted April 5, 2014 Report Share Posted April 5, 2014 I think Duke has Giardia..... Explosive greenish, diarrhea and mucus covered, as well as not eating very well. I've been reading up on it and it appears that it is becoming resistant to Metronidazole. Besides that, I'm more of a holistic type person. So, is there any natural things I can use to cure it? I've read a little about coconut oil and grapefruit seed extract but the pages don't say how much/often to give it...... Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debbie Meier Posted April 5, 2014 Report Share Posted April 5, 2014 Not that I'm aware of and it's something you don't want to allow to persist, the dog can end up always being a carrier of it and you never get rid of it. 5-6 days in a row of SafeGuard/Panacur is the best way I know of to get it under control Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simba Posted April 5, 2014 Report Share Posted April 5, 2014 Coconut oil's good for your hair, wonderful to put fat on, and amazing to cook with, but I can't see any possible way it would help with giardia. I've read some of the research behind it, and if it could cure actual infections the studies (and the hype) would be everywhere and people would be investigating this for use in humans. There are in vitro studies, but they're not really worth much as evidence. Maybe I haven't come across the right ones, but based on the evidence I wouldn't use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shetlander Posted April 5, 2014 Report Share Posted April 5, 2014 Agree with the above posts. It can be hard to identify if it is Giardia, but if it is, it is contagious to other dogs and even humans. It can also become a chronic problem. You describe a dog who is sick and probably feeling pretty bad. I would get him to a vet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alchemist Posted April 6, 2014 Report Share Posted April 6, 2014 I'd see a vet as well, but since you ask about coconut, I thought I'd share something that a friend shared with me: http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=17146659 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloria Atwater Posted April 6, 2014 Report Share Posted April 6, 2014 Please don't mess around with giardia. It's a protazoa, a parasite, a living critter and if not treated, it will continue to grow and populate inside your dog - plus the dog can spread the giardia to other animals, including you.As long as it's infesting your dog, the protazoa are interfering with normal digestion and basically stealing your dog's nutrition for themselves. It will continue to cause your dog to lose condition. He will not get over it and it won't go away. Please get him in to the vet and take care of this soonest. I've seen other dogs afflicted with this and it's not fair to your dog to let him go on suffering in the interests of avoiding modern medicine. If the metro doesn't work, there are other options out there. Edited to add: From what I've read, if the grape seed extract really works, it takes 2 weeks or so to do it. I'd not want my dog in misery that long and it's that much longer he's shedding giardia spores around your place and thus risking re-infection or spreading to other creatures. It's also prolonging the chance he'll become a carrier and keep having episodes. I saw this happen in an Aussie once some years ago, when she wasn't correctly diagnosed right away. Not a fun thing to live with.Get him in to a vet for a full fecal exam and prescribed treatment, please.Regards,Gloriap.s. I realize I sound sharp, and I am all for conservative use of medications, if other options are viable. But I've spent most of my adult live in mountain country where giardia is a concern, and it's one thing I would not tippy-toe around - particularly in my dogs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Root Beer Posted April 6, 2014 Report Share Posted April 6, 2014 Not that I'm aware of and it's something you don't want to allow to persist, the dog can end up always being a carrier of it and you never get rid of it. 5-6 days in a row of SafeGuard/Panacur is the best way I know of to get it under control Talk to your vet about this - it is definitely what I would be looking to do in this case. As a follow-up to the prescribed treatment, and/or for future prevention, look into food grade diatomaceous earth as a natural approach. Not as a substitute for medical treatment right now, though. Also, cleaning up areas where the spores may have shed is important to avoid re-infestation after treatment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alchemist Posted April 7, 2014 Report Share Posted April 7, 2014 Meant to add (but have had trouble accessing the internet while traveling) - though I've heard coconut (dried, flaked, UNSWEETENED) recommended as a preventative/general "boost" for GI issues (including giardia) - as I said initially, I'd go to the vet first. A handful of coconut can't hurt and may help prevent or assist in curing things. Failing to treat Giardia could severely harm a dog. I wouldn't mess with it. My vet recommends five days of Panacur or ten days of Metronidazole. I've used both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy Coyote Posted April 7, 2014 Report Share Posted April 7, 2014 I've just been reaading up on coconut oil. The book I have said that it has been used for centuries for getting rid of tape worms and other parasites (giardia was one). But that was for humans and dogs were never mentioned. I don't think it would hurt to give a dog some coconut to help revent giardia but I don't think I would rely on that if the dog was actually infested. I remember, tho, someone on this board swore up and down that coconut helped a lot if her dogs had instestinal problems. I just can't remember who it was. And that would make sense and I would give that a try if I thought it was just a minor upset of some sort. Coconut oil is considered safe for humans. I think the worst that could happen is that you would get the runs if you took too much. I don't know whether it is considered safe for dogs. I would want to look into that before I did anything. According to my book coconut oil will cure everything. It even stops alzheimers in it's tracks. Kills all kinds of bacteria and virus infections. It would be wonderful if that were true. But I kind of doubt it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gideon's girl Posted April 7, 2014 Report Share Posted April 7, 2014 I use coconut oil for my dogs, but not for giardia. Oil of oregano is good for intestinal stuff too, but like everyone else, I wouldn't mess around with not getting a proper diagnosis and treatment of giardia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEC Posted April 7, 2014 Report Share Posted April 7, 2014 Something like three pills within two or three days, as I recall, and for humans it's cured. Doctors treat the clinical symptoms, and if the pills don't fix you, it's some other problem. Appears to be quite straightforward. I wouldn't fuss with alternative medicine for Giardiasis in dogs or humans. One internet site says canine metronidazole treatment (other meds available if resistance is suspected) for 5-7 days fixes it, and the prognosis is good. -- TEC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz P Posted April 7, 2014 Report Share Posted April 7, 2014 We are starting to see cases of coconut oil induced pancreatitis in dogs. FYI. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urge to herd Posted April 7, 2014 Report Share Posted April 7, 2014 Liz, that's scary. Poor dogs. Ruth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rushdoggie Posted April 7, 2014 Report Share Posted April 7, 2014 We are starting to see cases of coconut oil induced pancreatitis in dogs. FYI. If a little is good, a lot must be better, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz P Posted April 7, 2014 Report Share Posted April 7, 2014 And if it's all natural it must be safe. I heard a story told by a clinician in school. Horse was having episodes of weakness and collapse. Hospitalized for testing, but everything came back normal and horse was looking fantastic. Trainer came to visit the horse. Without telling anyone, he gave the horse a dose of the herbal supplement he liked to use for "performance." Horse was taken out of his stall for a walk and dropped dead. Supplement contained Foxglove. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alchemist Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 We are starting to see cases of coconut oil induced pancreatitis in dogs. FYI. “All things are poisons, for there is nothing without poisonous qualities. It is only the dose which makes a thing poison.” ― Paracelsus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 “All things are poisons, for there is nothing without poisonous qualities. It is only the dose which makes a thing poison.” ― Paracelsus I was thinking the same thing, although certainly not so eloquently. *Anything* is toxic in excess. Now, whether or not it's actually beneficial at a certain level is another story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simba Posted April 9, 2014 Report Share Posted April 9, 2014 I talked to someone who told me only synthetic foxglove was dangerous. Natural foxglove was safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urge to herd Posted April 9, 2014 Report Share Posted April 9, 2014 According to what I just read on eHow, the entire foxglove plant is poisonous, both to people and animals. I routinely see it listed on the lists of garden plants that are dangerous to dogs and cats. Ruth and Agent Gibbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted April 9, 2014 Report Share Posted April 9, 2014 The heart medications digitalis, digitoxin and digoxin are from foxglove, but I'm sure it's minute amounts and the 2nd name should suggest something about its safety (or lack thereof) if used improperly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simba Posted April 9, 2014 Report Share Posted April 9, 2014 Didn't make that clear enough- the herb is poisonous, please don't go drink foxglove tea lurker who is reading this. Synthetic digitalin, and derivatives, are also poisonous in large quantities, but it's regulated so there's a certain amount in each pill. Foxglove tea was used before the synthetics were available, but it's hard to dose correctly because it varies according to the season, health of the plant, climate and lots of other factors. But this person was suggesting going out to the back garden and brewing some tea was safer than taking the pills. And was telling other people to do this for 'heart troubles', regardless of type. I was surprised because I thought it was one of those 'everyone knows' things, like not eating unidentifiable mushrooms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gideon's girl Posted April 10, 2014 Report Share Posted April 10, 2014 I've know that since I was a kid, but I don't think my kids would know that. We don't live where foxglove grows though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shetlander Posted April 10, 2014 Report Share Posted April 10, 2014 I wonder how the OP's dog is doing. I hope he has received appropriate treatment and is no longer sick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloria Atwater Posted April 16, 2014 Report Share Posted April 16, 2014 Any news? Or were our responses not to the OPs liking? I do hope the dog is doing better.~ Gloria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riika Posted April 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2014 Sorry folks. I don't get on the computer very often and can't post from my phone although I can read the posts. Thanks for all your replies. Gloria, the answers were exactly what I wanted-I asked "are there any" and the answer was "no." So, I can't get him treated without knowing for sure what it is, and when I stalk him all day to get a fecal sample, he finally poops solid, normal poo. So, I decided not to test him or do anything else at the present. He is back to normal-maybe it was just a bug? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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