Introduction
Beaver fever, also termed giardiasis or giardia, is a type of intestinal organism that can infect wild mammals, cats, dogs, birds, and people. The organism is spread when an animal drinks water that has been contaminated by the feces of another animal that was infected with giardia or through ingestion of the contaminated feces itself.
Symptoms of Beaver Fever
Once giardiasis infection occurs, the organisms reproduce and cause of variety of intestinal symptoms. The most common symptoms associated with giardia include weight loss, chronic diarrhea, or diarrhea that occurs in bouts. In many cases the diarrhea has a mucous like consistency and is bloody.
Diagnosing Beaver Fever
Giardia is diagnosed based on the animal’s symptoms, history, and examining the feces for evidence of the organisms or the cysts that form when they reproduce. In some cases blood work or x-rays may be conducted to rule out any other cause of the condition. Due to the fact that the giardia organisms, and the cysts, are often difficult to locate through a fecal examination, a diagnosis is sometimes based on the animal’s symptoms, ruling out other causes of the symptoms, and response to treatment. A test for giardia is available, and the results are more accurate with a fresh fecal sample (within a few hours). The fresher the better and a good size sample.
Treating Beaver Fever
Treatment for giardia can be somewhat challenging because there is no one medication that is approved for its treatment, and most medications that are used to control the infection cannot completely eliminate the organisms and in some cases they cause side effects. Oral medications like Flagyl (metronidazole) and Panacur (Fenbendazole) are most often used to treat or control giardia in both cats and dogs.
Outlook for Pets with Beaver Fever
The prognosis for giardia is good to excellent, however many animals become infected again with the organisms because the cysts, which are shed through the feces, can remain in the environment for long periods of time. Thoroughly cleaning up all feces in the animal’s environment, washing bedding, and cleaning all water sources will help to prevent future infections.