Hello, precautions are always necessary and it is great to know that you do not want your dog to suffer from giardia. Here are a few preventive measures to guard your dog from the disease.
Giardiasis is an intestinal infection caused by a parasitic protozoan (single celled organism) called Giardia lamblia. These protozoans are found in the intestines of many animals, including dogs and humans.
The most important prevention is the elimination of the source of water, that is dirty contaminated water.
It is best to use chlorinated water for your dogs as other still water sources may contain the parasite.
In case you only have access to non chroninated water then you must chlorinate it yourself using liquid bleach that contains 5.25% sodium hypochlorite as its only active ingredient no soap. Use a scant 4 drops of Clorox bleach per quart of water or 2 teaspoons per 10 gallons.
As an alternate method, you may also boil the water to make sure all living bacteria are killed.
The bacteria can survive for months at a stretch in cool dry conditions so make sure the areas where the dog usually plays are kept dry.
Be extremely careful in the spring as the bacteria may have survived the wet winter and may be freely roaming the water in public areas.
There is also a vaccine called the Giardia Vax® which can be administered to dogs that are older than 8 weeks. The vaccine is licensed by the USDA and is considered to be completely safe.
I hope the information was helpful to you.
Cheers
