Love That Dirty Water

Although Boston isn't Elphie's home, she still loves dirty water. Her upset tummy has been connected to her love for lapping puddles. I brought her to the vet on Saturday and they called on Tuesday to give me the results of the stool culture: she tested positive for Giardia. I did a little research and learned that Giardia is "an infection of the small intestine caused by a microscopic organism (protozoa)" (definition courtesy of http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). Apparently it affects both humans and animals, usually caught by drinking stagnant and/or dirty water. I'm told that people who drink the water from Half Dome without filtration suffer from this ailment. Ick. I also read that it is undetermined whether the infection can be transferred between species. With that being said, you can bet your booty that I'm washing my hands every time I take her for a walk! That does not sound fun. I've seen, first hand, what it can do to the body and I'm not going to be signing up for that. Luckily it is easily treated with a combination of medication in various forms. I was sent home with pills for the diarrhea, powder to act as a vitamin supplement and liquid to treat the infection. I'm hoping she'll start to feel like herself again really soon.