Hello Everyone,
It's been ages since I posted but I was just scanning the todays digest and
thought I would offer what little information I have on the subject.
 
My Yorkie, Emily, had Giardia when we got her at 10 weeks.  She had been
experiencing some diarrhea but I thought it was due to the fact that she had
been rading the cat food bowls and the change in diet was the culprit.  But
I came home one day to find her glassy eyed, with a slumped posture and she
was swaying as if she would collapse at any moment.  I rushed her to the
emergency clinic where the vet obtained a fecal sample and then gave her an
injection.  She never offered a definite diagnosis Giardia was never
mentioned).  By the time we left the clinic she was already running around
like her old self.
 
A few days later Dexter, our lab, became lethargic.  He slept all day, not
even getting up to eat or drink.  I sat up with him most of the night
feeding him chicken broth though a turkey baster.  He is only 4 months older
than Emily so I was worried that a puppy his age should be so listless.  I
took him to our regular vet the following day.  During the exam I mentioned
that Emily had been ill but the vet never said what it was.  He called the
clinic and was told that the vet thought it was Giardia but could not see
the parasite so she just treated her for Giardia and sent us on our way.
Our vet warned me not to let Jessica, only 4 at the time, have too close
contact with the dogs.  Too late!  She came down with it, too.  I was
furious that the emergency clinics vet didn't tell me that she suspected it
MIGHT be Giardia and that it was transmittable to humans.  Jessica's
symptoms were subsiding when I found out so her doctor said not to worry
about it (although it was unusual for a child of that age to get over it
without treatment).  My vet said that she probably didn't tell us because
she could not see the parasite and therefore could not be sure (still I say
better safe than sorry, she could have warned me!).
 
Apparently, the parasite is SO small that it is difficult to see even under
a microscope.  My vet said that an animal can be infecte by drinking from
any pool of standing water so it can happen to any one and any time.
Luckily no one our children have had it since.
 
Hope this was of some use,
        Irena and the gang
[Posted in FML issue 2053]