Giardia

Val Boyington

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i hope im putting this in the right place. Im new to this site and not very good with technology. Lol. Im looking for advice on grapefruit seed ext. for cats with giardia. If anyone can help me i would really appreciate it.
 

silent meowlook

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Hi. Never heard of it being used for giardia. I would worry about toxicity in cats since grapes are toxic. If your cat has giardia, go to the vet and get an Rx from them. Probably metronidazole. Don’t wait on this.
 
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Val Boyington

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Hi. Never heard of it being used for giardia. I would worry about toxicity in cats since grapes are toxic. If your cat has giardia, go to the vet and get an Rx from them. Probably metronidazole. Don’t wait on this.
I have been to 2 different vets. They have been on metronidazole several times for extented amounts of time. Also have been on different antibiotics and another med, i cannot remember the name at the moment. They have had this for a long time. I am asking about grapefruit seed ext. Not grape.
 

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Joelle and the kittens

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The in vitro antimicrobial activity attributed to GSE is actually likely from a preservative found in the commercial products. There also haven't been studies on (the preservative's) efficacy against protozoans like giardia; most of the research has been on bacteria. What has your sanitation protocol been? Giardia contamination is difficult to get rid of, so if your cats keep testing positive it's probably due to re-exposure rather than the metronidazole not working.
 

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No experience here with GSE but I have used, on myself, digestive enzymes on an empty stomach to control flareups. I cannot tolerate metronidazole and atabrine turns my complexion a vivid yellow. Reinfection can be a real problem especially if there are dogs in the house - dogs can be asymptomatic carriers much more than humans or cats. Also, water sources need to be confirmed giardia free - even municipal sources. Please keep us updated!
 
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Val Boyington

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The in vitro antimicrobial activity attributed to GSE is actually likely from a preservative found in the commercial products. There also haven't been studies on (the preservative's) efficacy against protozoans like giardia; most of the research has been on bacteria. What has your sanitation protocol been? Giardia contamination is difficult to get rid of, so if your cats keep testing positive it's probably due to re-exposure rather than the metronidazole not working.
So, the 1 vet said it must be a "super bug" but gave no other option for a cure. We wash food and water bowls with 1:10 bleach every day. The cats that have it are separate from the others and the dogs. We got it from the local humane society with a spay/neuter batch we had done there. The litter pans are dumped and washed with bleach every day also. It is not reinfection. We have been on top of this since it started. I have been trying to research as much as possible. The grapefruit seed extract says it kills over 600 different parasites. There is a diffence between the fruit and the seed ext. The only problem is i cannot find a set doseage. A few drops could mean anything. Im hoping to find someone with knowledge on the use of the extract.
 
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Val Boyington

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Joelle and the kittens

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The embedded link in my post regards grapefruit seed extract. How would you be using it? The claimed effects seem to be as a surface or at most oral disinfectant, not something administered to patients (at least from the literature -- see this paper that mentions there have been no trials demonstrating efficacy or safety; it also reports toxicity to human cells and rats). I wouldn't spend money on treatments with no supportive clinical research (GSE is relatively cheap; if it was super effective pharma companies would have capitalized on it long ago), especially if there's the potential for harm.
Have the cats been diagnosed with giardia each time, or was the vet just basing diagnosis on symptoms after the first positive test?
 
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Val Boyington

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The embedded link in my post regards grapefruit seed extract. How would you be using it? The claimed effects seem to be as a surface or at most oral disinfectant, not something administered to patients (at least from the literature -- see this paper that mentions there have been no trials demonstrating efficacy or safety; it also reports toxicity to human cells and rats). I wouldn't spend money on treatments with no supportive clinical research (GSE is relatively cheap; if it was super effective pharma companies would have capitalized on it long ago), especially if there's the potential for harm.
Have the cats been diagnosed with giardia each time, or was the vet just basing diagnosis on symptoms after the first positive test?
They have been tested several times at $200. a pop. Im not a new cat mom. We have many rescues. I have tried the pharm route. It has not worked. Do you have another suggestion for a treatment? We have been dealing with this for 2 years. The meds have had more than their chance to work. They have not. Thats why im looking for an alternative.
 
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Val Boyington

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They have been tested several times at $200. a pop. Im not a new cat mom. We have many rescues. I have tried the pharm route. It has not worked. Do you have another suggestion for a treatment? We have been dealing with this for 2 years. The meds have had more than their chance to work. They have not. Thats why im looking for an alternative.
There is a thread in this site about how great grapefuit seed extract is for giardia. Someone named "hissy" but it was vague on doseage to use. Thays why i started asking about it here.
 

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If you haven't already, I would try shampooing with chlorhexidine before and after treatment courses to eliminate cysts on their fur. With my kittens' coccidia saga I've also been steam-cleaning practically everything they contact.

I did see that thread from 2004. I would be very hesitant to trust the GSE anecdotes there given the amount of other misinformation alongside it... I know how frustrating it is to have conventional treatments fail over and over again, but again, there is very little evidence for efficacy of oral GSE in general and nothing regarding giardia so I would not invest in it.
 

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Maybe I missed it. How were they diagnosed with giardia? Was a fecal direct smear done in house at the vets, or did they use a giardia cite test? Do you know? Are they currently having symptoms? If they have had rounds of metronidazole, do you remember for how long, and the dose?
 
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Val Boyington

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Maybe I missed it. How were they diagnosed with giardia? Was a fecal direct smear done in house at the vets, or did they use a giardia cite test? Do you know? Are they currently having symptoms? If they have had rounds of metronidazole, do you remember for how long, and the dose?
The tests were sent out to be analized. They also did in house testing. They have had severe diahria for over 2 years. Since this has been going on for so long i unfortunately do not remember all of the amounts. I do know they had 2 weeks on 1 wk off. Then 3 wks on and 1 off. They were on fenbendazol + metronidazole also antibiotic. We have repeated this process many, many times. As i said before they are separated from the others. They have no contact with anyone but my husband and myself. 2 years of constant diahria mess with 12 cats is a lot to deal with every day. This is why im looking for an alternative. Vets only suggest the metron +fenben....every time. Not working! I have tried this way too many times.
 
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Val Boyington

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Val Boyington

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Joelle and the kittens

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I don't doubt that she is very competent at cat rescue. I do doubt a 17-year-old thread involving one person's anecdote is a valid substitute for empirical scientific evidence of efficacy against giardia, particularly when the few in vivo studies on it have demonstrated toxicity to animals...
 

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I know this is an old thread, but in case the giardia is still an issue I wanted to share what worked for me with a very sick kitty who went the regular vet route with no results.
1. Digestive enzymes in the water.
2. Raw diet 2x a day, 12 hrs apart. No snacks or treats.
I put digestive enzymes in her drinking water for about a week before I changed her diet and continued that until she cleared up entirely. It took a few months of gradual improvement, but she is now a healthy happy girl and has had no problems since this cleared up about 6 years ago.
 
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