Good ole' Giardia.
Comes mostly through the water system. Isn't worth treating unless there are symptoms (as in, if it's picked up in a random fecal and there isn't any diarrhea, don't bother with meds). It's also usually self-limiting and, if you can provide supportive care, the body will take care of it by itself. UNLESS the body is stressed or ill, then it won't and you should medicate. Activated charcoal can be used to help control diarrhea, as can Pet Pectin. I'd keep them both in my first aid kit from now on because you'll need them.
Giardia will remain in the stool forever. Often at sub-clinical levels but reappearing during times of stress or secondary to another illness.
Unless you've had a husbandry issue and not practiced good sanitation between the two hedgies, there's a chance that the giardia came from your water and wasn't passed from Tex. Especially since they both had a common onset time. Even chemically treated public water can have giardia in it because it's as hard as the dickens to filter out and giardia forms spores that are resistant to a lot of chemicals. A certain level is considered acceptable water quality. If you're worried about it, boil their drinking water for 5 minutes and then cool it. Wash water bowls and food bowls in hot soapy water with a cup of bleach added. Do not rely on the dishwasher to kill things off, even the sanitize setting.
Do what you can to keep them eating and drinking. Adding a second water bowl with chamomile and mint tea or water with honey is a good way to encourage drinking. Sprinkling 1/4 of a child's chewable vitamin c tablet on their food can help boost the immune system. Don't forget the probiotics.
Comes mostly through the water system. Isn't worth treating unless there are symptoms (as in, if it's picked up in a random fecal and there isn't any diarrhea, don't bother with meds). It's also usually self-limiting and, if you can provide supportive care, the body will take care of it by itself. UNLESS the body is stressed or ill, then it won't and you should medicate. Activated charcoal can be used to help control diarrhea, as can Pet Pectin. I'd keep them both in my first aid kit from now on because you'll need them.
Giardia will remain in the stool forever. Often at sub-clinical levels but reappearing during times of stress or secondary to another illness.
Unless you've had a husbandry issue and not practiced good sanitation between the two hedgies, there's a chance that the giardia came from your water and wasn't passed from Tex. Especially since they both had a common onset time. Even chemically treated public water can have giardia in it because it's as hard as the dickens to filter out and giardia forms spores that are resistant to a lot of chemicals. A certain level is considered acceptable water quality. If you're worried about it, boil their drinking water for 5 minutes and then cool it. Wash water bowls and food bowls in hot soapy water with a cup of bleach added. Do not rely on the dishwasher to kill things off, even the sanitize setting.
Do what you can to keep them eating and drinking. Adding a second water bowl with chamomile and mint tea or water with honey is a good way to encourage drinking. Sprinkling 1/4 of a child's chewable vitamin c tablet on their food can help boost the immune system. Don't forget the probiotics.
