I suspect my dog has giardia, based on past experience and his absolute love for drinking from any puddle he finds outside. Really, nothing makes him happier than a bird bath, puddle, or even the rain water on the patio furniture. He seems to prefer it to the water in his bowl.
I find my vet useless (deserves a whole thread), and so I just want to test for giardia. I see rapid tests available for purchase online.
Anyone have any experiences?
Is your dog sick? Otherwise, I wouldn’t be concerned about it.
Of course he’s sick, or I wouldn’t be thinking about giardia.
He’s having intermittent diarrhea, over the past two weeks. Not every day, but every second or third, and is otherwise totally fine.
I’ve had this experience with two other dogs where it turned out to be giardia.
As I said, my vet is useless (and is one of those suburban “run up the score” vets) and so yes, I need a new one, but in the meantime I wanted to test for giardia.
IME the smell of giardia is unmistakable. One whiff and you’ll know it for life.
You know, I love the Dope, but we have here two classic Dope responses.
First, I’m questioned on why I would possibly want to test my dog for giardia. I mean, this isn’t an absurd thing to do.
Then, I’m given a snarky link to a product, which I’ve already found online. My OP was whether anyone had any experiences with the home tests.
Love you guys, but come on.
I think you’re overeating here.
nearwildheaven did not question why you would possibly want to test your dog for giardia, they asked if it was sick.
TruCelt, I’m guessing, misread the question. When I first read the OP, I too thought you were looking for recommendations. “I see rapid tests online…anyone have any experiences” can certainly be read as looking for recommendations for products as opposed to just experience, in general, with home tests.
How on earth would any of us know which products you’ve already found?
When someone says, “I’ve found xyz online”, “let me Google that for you” is unlikely to be a helpful response. I thought the OP was clear.
But i have no experience with home testing for giardia. My guess is that no one with useful knowledge has read the post, and that’s why there have been no useful replies. Sometimes that happens. It’s been less than a day, maybe someone will show up.
You are correct. I somehow missed the part about the OP already having looked. Apologies, to the OP.
I have always done this through the vet’s office. But like I said, Giardia announces itself pretty clearly.