Coconut Oil Against Giardia: Is It Safe?

Giardia vs. Coconut Oil for Dogs?

Dogs love to go out, especially every morning. As much as you love the idea of walking with them in the park, you should always consider their safety even if they are on a leash.

With so many dogs and people, trouble might be everywhere. Picking up your dog’s poop is very important.

Not only for the quality of the park but also for the prevention of spreading the parasites and diseases to other dogs. You should keep an eye on your dogs as they may get any harmful substances through their tongue.

What is Giardia?

Giardia infection or Giardiasis is a common illness with single-celled parasites which cannot be seen by the naked eye.

It can affect humans to humans and animals to animals as it spreads through contaminated water or foods.

Parasites present from a substance like feces or water can be transmitted and will cause harm to your pets. When it gets contact with the parasite, the parasite would live in their intestines and make them sick.

Giardia is something you should avoid too. The illness can come from poor sanitation in one place or from almost anywhere. It affects older dogs but regularly infects puppies.

Dogs become infected when they swallow Giardia that may be present in water or infected stool.

Giardia in Our Dog’s Body

Giardia has been spreading out by being ingested. The parasite might cause your dog to get diarrhea and weight loss. Dogs always love something to put in their mouth, which we cannot control.

This way, dogs might pick up the parasite in their surroundings using their tongue. That’s whether chewing, eating, or drinking with contaminated feces.
   

When the parasite is already present in your dog’s intestine, he might pass the parasite to other dogs without showing any signs of infection.

If an owner has more than one pet inside their household, the infected pet is more likely to transmit the parasite to other dogs.

Dogs to cats or cats to dogs are impossible to happen, but dogs to dogs transmission is possible. It is advisable to consult immediately with your vet to know what you might need to do or not do.

Symptoms of Giardia

Dog owners should be aware of their dog’s conditions. If you think that there is something wrong with your pet, always consult your vet.

Do that before applying anything that might harm or make it worse. These are symptoms that show when your dog has Giardia:

-Failure to gain weight

-Poor coat appearance

-Vomiting

-Diarrhea – watery or greasy stools

-Weight loss

-Dehydration which may cause weight loss.

Giardia Treatment

It is best to visit your vet after seeing signs of infection like diarrhea or weight loss from your dogs. Your vet will give you the right treatment plan based on your dog’s needs together with proper diagnostic tests to determine if your dog has Giardia.

If left untreated, Giardia can cause the worst thing to happen to our pet which is death.

If you suspect problems don’t hesitate to visit your veterinarian since Giardia might be mistaken for other kinds of parasites or infections. You can’t always tell if you’re just basing on the symptoms you observe with your own eyes.

Prevention

First of all, make sure to always give your dog clean drinking water all the time. He also should not come into contact with feces.

This will help to reduce the chance of being infected from puddles. For their general health, if you’re not assured of their safety, you can buy a filter for tap water that can remove Giardia cysts.

You can also boil their water as it can kill the cysts and give them to your dog as soon as it gets warm. After all, environmental disinfection and personal hygiene are essential to protect your dogs.

Prevention is key. As you may know, you can also prevent them from catching
bugs by the use of items you can get from your kitchen.

Coconut Oil Against Giardia

Coconut oil has been common to dogs as it can moisturize their skin and coat. But coconut oil also contains Caprylic Acid, which can stop the growth of bacteria and parasites.

Lauric Acid is also present in coconut oils and can kill the parasite if consumed. You can also use coconut oils, which are handy tools that can be used anywhere to prevent or even treat your dogs from having Guardia or other parasites.

But if your dog is heavily infected already, coconut oil might not be a great help for them anymore. It is best to consult your veterinarian to know the medications you need to focus on.

Medicine can cure your dog’s diarrhea and is an excellent prevention to other infected parasites. Your pet needs to be treated as soon as possible.

As we talked about, severe cases of Giardia, malnutrition or weight loss can cause serious problems or lead to death.

Benefits of Coconut Oil

Coconut oil helps with digestion. Owners who have pets with sensitive stomachs will take this as good news as coconut oil can soothe a dog’s digestive system.

It can also help your dog absorb more nutrients. Aside from that, coconut oil is a natural parasite repellent.

As I mentioned above, Lauric acid in coconut oil, a healthy fatty acid, is used as a defense against internal parasites like Giardia. Coconut oil has anti-fungal, antiviral, and antibiotic properties.

Coconut oil can heal minor cuts and hot spots, scrapes, or even bug bites.
 

If you struggle from worrying about your dog’s safety, always take action immediately as soon as you notice the symptoms of a particular illness from your dog.

To prevent getting the parasites transmitted to your other pets, visit your vet for further information and to learn the proper treatment to apply.

Try not to self-medicate as it can harm your dogs even more or might result in severe conditions. Always leave it to the experts like your trusted veterinarians.

For more information about coconut for dogs, read this article: Coconut Products For Dogs: Are They Safe?

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Author

Belle Derecho

I grew up as a goal digger who always looks for inspiration to strive hard and to fulfill my dream as a writer. I began writing fictional stories at a young age and continued playing with my imaginations as I unraveled the real world of adulthood. Now, as a young adult, I have realized that I shouldn’t give up writing because great things are just waiting around the corner.