Beware of lake water...it's not just water sometimes

[Ilovemypuppy]

Let me first say that Bailey is doing fine ! I had her to the lake three days last week, Wed, Thurs and Fri for swims and Saturday she started with diarrhea. I gave her Kaopectate and homeopathic Nux Vomica to try and correct it , thinking it must have been something she picked up and on Sunday, it started to get better...than started again.

Monday, it was better in the morning, than got worse throughout the day. She was eating well the whole time and no vomiting, but Monday night starting at 1 a.m. she became restless, panting, scratching, rubbing at her nose and wanting to go outside. I was up with her at 1, 2 and 3 a.m. At 3 a.m. she had dirrehea again . I gave her some liquid Benadryl to stop the allergic response and she finally fell asleep at 4 a.m.....I stayed awake and just watched her and finally I got up at 6 a.m.

Our vet opens at 8 and I called her right away and got an appointment for 9:15. I didn't feed Bailey that morning, got her out for potties and got a good first urine and stool sample to take with us.

Tests were run right away on the urine and stool samples while Dr. Jody Rice examined Bailey and discovered she was quite dehydrated, so she begin subcutaneous fluids in the area at the back of her neck, took her temperature (it was normal) and checked her all over.

The urine tests were normal, but the stool tests showed Giardia and Clostridium spores (the most the vet had ever seen in a sample). Dr. Rice feels these were picked up in the lake water. With our weather being so hot and humid, she says the lakes are very polluted with these and other parasites and bacteria. We won't be going swimming at the lake anymore this year.

She gave Bailey a prescription for Metronidazole 250mg..she has to have two tablets, twice a day for 5 days. Dr. Rice says this is a very good antibiotic that will take care of those two invaders very well and it's supposed to be very safe to use.

I had to fast Bailey on chicken broth and Pediolyte all day yesterday and she had her regular breakfast this morning. She was so good about it all. I really hated not feeding her, but we had to let her digestive system rest..I think she thought..oh no...they ran out of food !! She was happy to see we hadn't this morning

I also had a CBC and Blood Chemistry done on her..the Blood Chemistry showed everything is functioning normal...I wanted to make sure that no organs were affected. The CBC results will be back some time this morning..the vet's machine wasn't working right yesterday, so she looked at the sample in a preliminary and thought it looked normal..but is taking the sample to the local hospital lab this morning to get complete numbers.

I had CBC's and Blood Chemistries done on Bailey last fall and this spring, so we would have a baseline to look at..glad I did.

Dr. Rice thinks the allergic symptoms were her immune system's response to the over growth of these parasites and bacteria and the resultant toxins.

Anyways....we all slept better last night and Miss "B" is napping now on a full belly

Just wanted to let you all know....it's scary to think the lakes aren't safe. I know these bacteria and parasites can be picked up in other places. I had not idea how bad the lake water can be....do now

Dr. Rice said she is advising her clients not to take their dogs to the lakes around here. Better to go to the ocean shores with the salt water.

[autumn]

Wow, that is really scary! I take my adult dogs to the lake at least once a week. They live for swimming! Don't know what to do now....... I have a kiddy pool in the back yard but that is hardly the same.

[livertw]

My vet said the same thing. The small lakes and streams here are filthy with goose poop and giardia. He said maybe a spring-fed lake in the mountains would be OK, but under no circumstances was I to let Daisy swim in any of the urban waterways in this county.

[groupieindenial]

YES!! I know what you mean! Last weekend I let Vegas swim (or should I say wade) in a shallow river he's never swam in before. Of course the dogs drink the water, their thirsty. He got the weirdest looking green poop, and whitish film. The only explanation I came up with is the goose and duck poop in the river, high bacteria and/or iron content.

[jas'smom]

Well i am very glad to hear that Bailey is on the mend!!! and thanks for the warning !!!

[SonnyRott]

Ohhh...poor Miss Bailey! I hope she's feeling better soon.

Sonny had Giardia when he was about 6 months old from swimming in a pond with geese. In the hot summer months the pond gets on the stagnant side, so we avoid it.

Most days he's in the pool. I still allow him to swim in streams and brooks and lakes as long as the water is moving and clear.

Since the bacteria count was so high, it may take her a couple of weeks to feel like her old self again.

[2rotties2luv]

Originally Posted by livertw

My vet said the same thing. The small lakes and streams here are filthy with goose poop and giardia. He said maybe a spring-fed lake in the mountains would be OK,

A co-worker of mine caught giardia while on a camping trip from swimming in just such a spring-fed mountain lake. He was quite sick with it and it took several weeks for him to get over it. Another co-worker's dog caught giardia after lapping a rainwater puddle in a parking lot next to the woods. Apparently one of the major carriers of giardia is raccoons. So just about any body of fresh water, whether moving or still, can be contaminated with giardia if it is accessable to wildlife.

[Judi W]

The same contaminations can be found in creeks and streams especially if they are frequented by cattle upstream. It is usually not as concentrated, but can still hit the dogs now and then and the same dangers apply to people.

[StephanieandToby]

Up here we call it "Beaver Fever" ..... dogs get it all the time because everywhere we go there is a body of water or a puddle....sometimes it takes quite a long time to disappear...make sure your dog finishes all the medication!

[Ilovemypuppy]

It's good to see so many people are aware of this and thanks for the well wishes for Miss Bailey...I have passed them along to her She is doing VERY well already and very happy about the meals being served again..LOL !!

She even wanted to play with her big ball this morning when we went over to vacuum the training area in our building and she was bouncing around 'helping' me make the bed this morning here in the house. She's on this antibiotic for 5 days and will be finishing it all for sure.

I guess we are going to have to install an in-ground pool or come visit Sonny in his !

Such a shame..the hottest time of the year when we could all use a refreshing dip ....maybe we should ALL go to Sonny's for a swim

[rottie597]

Yep..our lake is contaminated with giardia too. The local vets put out the word. Cally used to swim in the lake and never got the intestinal problems but did get two bad eye infections ( after which it finally dawned on me that they were from "snorkeling " in the lake.) That was in 99, she has had nothing since:) Hope Bailey feels better soon:)

[Ilovemypuppy]

CBC test results came back normal..so did the Blood Chemistry profile and Bailey's stools have returned to normal. The vet says there should be no further effects...ahhhh....I can breathe again !

[jas'smom]

Originally Posted by Ilovemypuppy

CBC test results came back normal..so did the Blood Chemistry profile and Bailey's stools have returned to normal. The vet says there should be no further effects...ahhhh....I can breathe again !

And Bailey can eat again!!!!!!!!! So glad she is OK, dont like to think of that little face sad and not feeling good

[Ilovemypuppy]

Originally Posted by jas'smom

And Bailey can eat again!!!!!!!!! So glad she is OK, dont like to think of that little face sad and not feeling good

It's a happy face again !!! Have a look

[HerculesMomma]

Poor Bailey! The metronidazole didn't work for us and we had to do a second treatment of pancur. But I remember his pacing, both inside and outside, and I remember it being in the begining of February (so very, very cold outside) and being out with him at 3:00 in the morning for a half hour at a time. It was rough. I slept on the couch for a month until he was better because he wouldn't "scratch" to go out. I felt like I was taking care of a baby being up every few hours to take him out. This was when I first adopted Hercules.

I'm glad to hear Bailey is feeling better and I appreciate the warning. I took Hercules to see if I could take him swimming in Lake St. Clair (I'm minutes away) but could not find a park that would take a dog. Maybe now this was a good thing!