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North Shore
Veterinary Clinic
Giardia is a small single celled organism that lives in the small intestine. It can be found throughout the United States. Giardia creates problems for its host by preventing absorption of nutrients in the small intestine. Much about Giardia is unclear including its detailed life cycle and number of species.
- Giardia canis
Although some of the life cycle of Giardia is unclear, most cats and dogs contract it by ingesting cysts of the parasite from contaminated soil. The cyst opens in the small intestine and releases a single celled form known as a trophozoite. They have a flagella to propel themselves in their new home. The trophozoites attach to the intestinal wall and begin to divide. At a certain point, cysts begin to form and pass with the stool of their host. These cysts contaminate the local soil and can now infect other animals.
Dogs and cats become infected with Giardia by eating infective cysts from contaminated soil. They may lick the cysts that stick to their fur or feet while cleaning themselves. Giardia cysts may adhere to contaminated food.
Most pets with Giardia infections do not display any symptoms. Occasionally they may have acute or intermittant diarrhea. The feces may have a greasy appearance and a bad odor.
In order to diagnose a Giardia infection, a fecal sample is usually examined microscopically. However, Giardia cysts are not passed in every stool of an animal. Special testing is usually required to confirm a Giardia diagnosis from the pet's history and clinical signs.
Prevention of Giardia can be very difficlyt as their cysts can exist for months in the proper environment. The best way to minimize the likelihood of infection is to keep pets away from infective stool.
Contact your physician for information regarding human infection of Giardia from their pets.
