Short answer: Giardia in dogs is treated with vet-prescribed antiparasitic medication—usually fenbendazole, metronidazole, or a combination of both—given over 3 to 10 days. Alongside the medication, you'll bathe your dog to remove cysts from their coat, deep-clean their environment to prevent reinfection, and feed a bland, easy-to-digest diet until their stomach settles. Most dogs recover fully, but giardia is stubborn, so follow your vet's full protocol even after symptoms clear.
I'm Preston Smith, co-founder of Bully Sticks Central. We're a dog-treat company, not a veterinary clinic, so think of this as a plain-English guide to what treatment looks like—not a substitute for your vet. If you suspect giardia, get a stool sample tested first.
What Is Giardia in Dogs?
Giardia is a microscopic single-celled parasite that infects the small intestine. Dogs pick it up by swallowing the cysts, most often from contaminated water (puddles, streams, shared water bowls), infected feces, or a soiled coat they've licked. Once inside, it interferes with nutrient absorption, which is why the hallmark sign is loose, greasy, foul-smelling diarrhea. According to VCA Animal Hospitals, many infected dogs show no symptoms at all and still shed cysts that can infect other pets.
What Are the Symptoms of Giardia?
The most common signs are persistent or intermittent diarrhea (sometimes soft, greasy, or with mucus), vomiting, weight loss despite a normal appetite, and low energy. Puppies, senior dogs, and dogs with weaker immune systems tend to get hit hardest and can become dehydrated quickly. If you have a young dog, our guide on bully sticks for puppies covers other things to watch for as their digestive system matures.
How Is Giardia Diagnosed?
Your vet confirms giardia with a stool test—typically a fecal flotation and/or an ELISA antigen test. Because dogs shed cysts inconsistently, a single negative test doesn't always rule it out, so your vet may ask for repeat samples. Don't try to diagnose or treat it at home; the symptoms overlap with many other conditions, and the American Kennel Club recommends professional testing before starting any medication.
How Do You Treat Giardia in Dogs, Step by Step?
- Prescription medication. Fenbendazole (often 3–5 days) and metronidazole are the two most common drugs, sometimes used together for tougher cases. Finish the entire course exactly as prescribed, even if your dog looks better.
- Bathe your dog. Giardia cysts cling to the fur around the hind end. A thorough bath—especially on the last day of treatment—removes cysts your dog could otherwise re-ingest while grooming.
- Clean the environment. Pick up feces immediately, disinfect hard surfaces and food and water bowls, and wash bedding in hot water. Cysts survive a long time in cool, damp conditions, so this step is what actually prevents reinfection.
- Support hydration and diet. Keep fresh water available and feed a bland, low-fat, easy-to-digest diet while the gut recovers. Your vet may recommend a probiotic to help rebalance the intestines.
- Retest. Many vets recheck a stool sample a couple of weeks after treatment to confirm the parasite is gone, since giardia is notorious for lingering.
What Should You Feed a Dog Recovering From Giardia?
During active treatment, follow your vet's diet advice—usually something gentle and low-fat. As your dog's stomach settles and their appetite returns, simple, single-ingredient foods are the easiest on a recovering gut. That's the whole idea behind our chews: they're 100% natural, single-ingredient treats made from 100% real meat, fully digestible, with no rawhide and nothing artificial added. We keep them that way because fewer ingredients means fewer things to upset a sensitive stomach. Reintroduce any treats slowly and only once your vet says your dog is back to normal.
If you're worried about digestibility specifically, our note on why beef trachea and similar chews are safe and digestible walks through how a fully digestible chew behaves in the gut compared to rawhide.
Can Humans Catch Giardia From Their Dog?
The risk is considered low. The species of giardia that most often infects dogs is usually different from the assemblages that infect people, but transmission isn't impossible, so basic hygiene matters—wash your hands after handling feces and disinfect contaminated areas. The CDC has more detail on giardia and people. If anyone in your household is immunocompromised, talk to your physician.
How Do You Prevent Giardia?
Prevention comes down to limiting exposure: bring your own clean water on walks and hikes so your dog isn't tempted by puddles or streams, pick up feces promptly in your yard and at parks, clean shared water bowls regularly, and keep your dog's coat clean. There's no giardia vaccine that reliably prevents infection, so environmental management is your best defense.
The Bottom Line
Treating giardia in dogs is very doable: get a proper diagnosis, give the full course of prescribed medication, bathe your dog and disinfect their space to stop reinfection, and feed gently while the gut heals. It takes patience and thorough cleaning, but the vast majority of dogs bounce back completely. When your pup is ready for treats again, our 100% natural, single-ingredient chews—ethically sourced from grass-fed American and Argentinean farms and 100% high-quality guaranteed—are an easy, digestible option to welcome them back to normal.
This article is for general information only and isn't a substitute for professional veterinary care. Always consult your veterinarian about diagnosis and treatment.
This post was last updated at July 22, 2026 21:36
