Tips For A Successful Trip To The Vet

Dogs are prone to several intestinal parasites that can seriously impact their health and potentially spread to their owners. One of the most common is giardia, which causes a condition known as giardiasis when ingested. This often happens when your dog comes in contact with contaminated soil or drinks from contaminated water, and it's something you should see your vet about as soon as possible.

With that in mind, here are just four common signs of giardia to watch out for. 

1. Foul Smelling Diarrhea

By far the most common sign of giardia in dogs is extremely poor-smelling diarrhea. When these parasites attach themselves to a dog's intestinal wall, the damage often causes them to relieve themselves more and produce very wet stools. While dog poop is never going to smell great, the odours produced by a dog with giardia tend to be particularly unpleasant. Diarrhea associated with giardia may come and go or last for some time. You may also notice your dog producing particularly foul-smelling gas, and they are likely to pass gas more often than normal.

2. Discoloured Faeces

Even if your dog doesn't have a wet stool, you may notice their poop is taking on a slightly discoloured appearance. Infected dogs tend to produce excess mucus in their faeces, which will often give their leavings a slightly green or yellow tinge. Since the parasite causes such irritation within the digestive system, blood can also sometimes be seen in an infected dog's faeces.

3. Reduced Activity Levels

While dogs do certainly slow down a little as they age, you won't usually notice their energy levels dropping significantly out of nowhere unless something is wrong. If your dog suddenly seems less interested in going on walks on engaging in its favourite activities, it might be due to a parasite like giardia. This can partly be down to the fact that dogs with giardia aren't going to be feeling 100%, but it can also occur since infected dogs aren't able to absorb all the water and nutrients they need. As such, they often lose a lot of energy.

4. Weight Loss 

Even if your dog doesn't become lethargic, giardia may cause them to slowly lose weight as they struggle to take enough nutrition from their food. If you notice your dog is looking thinner or losing weight despite not going through any dietary changes or increasing activity levels, a parasite might be to blame. When this happens, you may also notice a decrease in the health of your dog's coat.

To find out more, contact a company like Findon Vet Surgery.