Re: [gardeners] Re:OT: Living in the Woods

Rosemary Carlson (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Thu, 14 Jan 1999 11:26:48 -0500 

Thanks very much - Margaret, Martha, Bonnie, everyone - for the searches on
giardia and dogs and the woods! Yes, my vet has told me that water
contaminated by wild animal feces is most probably the culprit. When I
first moved (and still), I had/have a lot of standing water around due to
the fact this had been a construction site. Plus there IS a creek running
through the property - though the dogs can't get to it. This is a very wild
section of Daniel Boone National Forest - my house is the first house EVER
built in this particular area - old growth woods where some logging has
been done (this area is one of the hardwood capitals of the world). The vet
also said that even rotting vegetation can be the culprit of giardia
infections - for dogs walking in it (what else IS forest floor!?) and for
people handling it or walking through it. LOTS of rotting leaves, etc in my
newly-fenced back yard. 

So, who knows where the dogs got it - wild animal feces, standing water,
forest floor...etc. What concerns me is that none of the above is going to
go away! The yard is now fenced that that should *help* with the wild
animal problem......though the deer, birds (yes, bird droppings too can
cause giardia) raccoons, etc will probably not be deterred by the fence.
Maybe possums, skunks, foxes will be detered......and then there are the
D--- coyotes.

So, at any rate, if your dog has unexplained really BAD diarrhea - have
them checked for giardia. The problem is it often "hides" and cannot be
found in a stool sample. My vet treated my dogs for it (it was hidden)
simply because of where I had moved too - as it happened, he was right. 24
hours after they started the meds, they had no symptoms - though they all
took the meds for a week. I, however, now know what to look for! At the
next sign of symptoms, we'll start medicine again.

If you walk your dog in the woods, don't let he/she drink out of streams or
puddles! 

FYI, I had a friend who, a couple of years back, spent 2 weeks in Japan.
Came home, got sick. They tried and TRIED to find out what was wrong with
him. No dice. FINALLY, they tested him for giardia. Guess what!? Yep, HE
had giardia. Probably from either sushi or from the water in Japan. BTW, he
was REALLY ill - for more than 2 weeks. 

Thanks again, everyone. I'll let you know if this comes back.

Rosemary in the foggy, icy mountains of eastern KY 

At 09:38 AM 1/14/99 -0600, you wrote:
>Rosemary;
>
>	I did a search and came up with 4097 results.  I didn't read all of them
>obviously but here are a couple you might take a look at.  It may be
>acquired by the dogs walking on bird (or other infected animals) feces then
>licking their paws or from water contaminated by animal or bird feces.  It
>may also affect humans if their water is contaminated.
>
>http://www.flatcoat.com/giardia.htm
>
>http://www.cisti.nrc.ca/programs/indcan/uti/uti037.htm
>
>It is probably something those of us with pets should be aware of no matter
>where we live since it can be transmitted by bird feces comtaminating an
>outdoor water container or even by the pet walking on the feces then
>licking their paws.  I have one who wouldn't stop at walking in it,  she
>would have to roll in it.
>
>Martha
>M Brown
>NW Oklahoma, USA
>USDA Zone 6b,  Sunset Zone 35
> 
>
>
>