Giardia and Coccidiosis problems. PLEASE HELP! - Page 1

I just found out my 9 wk old puppy has Giardia and Canine Coccidiosis!  After reading the comments on Giardia I feel frustrated already.  We just started the medication and I am not sure what to do next.  The puppy is crated at night but during the day goes where I go which is on carpet and tile flooring.  How do you disinfect carpet?  I have asthma so I can't use bleach on the tile.  I usually use vinegar & water to mop with.  The puppy has used the front and back yard so I guess they are both contaminated (plus deer use the front yard all the time and they probably have parasites too!)  How do you get rid of parasites in a yard?  Does this mean my 2 year old niece can't come visit?  What about 70 year old Mom?

Thanks for any advise in advance.

Joycelyn

Jocelyn,

I sent you a message to your PM Inbox.  :)   Good luck!

-Melanie

 Hello,

Try to confine the pup to an area where you have tile or hard flooring, not carpet. Do NOT let him use either area for a bathroom. Also block off a space outside and try to confine him to that area as well for now. Treat him with medications from your vet. Bathe him if you think he has fecal matter on him and then try to make sure he stays clean as you treat him. 

You can use quaternary ammonium compound disinfectants to kill the organism and maybe you can get a few ounces from your vet for your floors etc. Follow the manufacturers directions to the letter on dilution ratio.

It may be easier for you to use bleach and if you have asthma, then get someone to do this for you. No, you cannot easily disinfect carpets at all and using bleach would likely ruin them anyway. But if he has contaminated the carpet, that could prove to be an avenue for reinfection to occur.

Add 1 cup household bleach to 1 gallon of  water. Spray it on the flooring and let it sit for 20-30 minutes and then wipe it up and re-rinse the floor using clean water. Outside, you can also do this, but if there is vegetation there, it will kill it and also any soil natural bacteria that is present. This means it might be as long as a year before something will grow there. If you have a concrete area, you could try confining him there and disinfect with the same bleach solution. Where ever you disinfect, be certain you get the bleach up or diluted so he does not get it on his paws next time he is in the area. The outside area that the pup goes in should be considered contaminated. This organism forms spores and it can survive freezing temperatures. Sunlight and lack of moisture will eventually kill most of the spores over time.

Anyone handling a pup or a dog for that matter, whether they think it is infected or not with some parasite, is well advised to wash their hands after contact with the animal. If you have more than one dog, all dogs should be treated at the same time and the ill pup separated from the other dogs or cats.

Try this link.  Great all around canine information.    Addresses common canine health problems, causes, and treatment; as well as preventive measures. Hope this helps.

                                    Don D.

www.beaglesunlimited.net

There is a product recommended called VIRKON, it comes in a powder and you add water to it. You spray it down, let it sit for 10 minutes, and wash it with water. We use it in the kennels at my shelter. We also use it outside in the dirt holding pens, but we soak the ground real well, usually before it rains. Coccidia and Giardia sit in the ground for years!

We have used the Virkon at work on cement kennel runs, metal cat cages, and carpeted cat scratching posts. I have not noticed any color fading on the carpeted posts, and we do treat the posts a few times a week.

I also use the Virkon at home to clean my crates, and whelping box. I wash dog dishes in it, as well.

Thank all of you for your suggestions!  I have ordered what I need to clean with and the puppy is on medication.  Does anyone know of anything that gets rid of parasites in the yard without killing the grass?

Be very careful what chemicals you put on your yard.  You may cause more harm than good.

 Joyceln,

There really is nothing that will disinfect your grass area without killing it. Isolate the area he goes in and hopefully you will have a very dry and hot summer. These organisms form spores and it is very, very difficult to kill them.  Good luck.