help with metronidazole for giardia and diarrhea

Our new rescue Sam has giardia.  We have already treated him for tapes and roundworm but the diarrhea persisted so another trip to the vet, another stool sample and now they found giardia! So we started him on metronidazole twice a day, 1 ml dose for 8 days.  The poor little kitten is barely weened weighing in at around 2.5 lbs when we found him crying outside the backdoor!

We are 6 days into this treatment and the diarrhea still present and the appearance of the stool is unchanged...looks like mucus/pudding.

So called the vet and she said we are to wash his butt every time he poops as she thinks he is re-infecting himself!

What do you who have had experience with this drug and giardia think?

If the drug is not killing the organism why are we subjecting him to this?

Since the dosage is a large volume in my view for such a small kitten could the drug be the problem?

Please help and tell me this butt washing is not "voodoo medicine"

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http://www.vcahospitals.com/main/pet-health-information/article/animal-health/giardia-in-cats/119

Check out this link their is a drug right after the one your currently giving him, I only have expericed this nasty little thing once in my life, def not fun, I hope the link helps

thanks...looked it over but still am not really sure of the method of operation of the drugdoes it kill the organism? or?

Have you tried adding probiotics?

I think your vet gave you good advice.  I like the idea of adding probiotics, but don't do it within about 2 hours of the metro.

And what a cutie!!!

Oh what a sweet little one!  I only have experience with on the human aspect.  Human and pet Giardia are two different types. 

If vet said he may be re-infecting himself; have you thought about other ways he could be re-infecting himself? The litter box?  Bedding, toys, etc.  

I found this by doing a really quick search:       http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/giardia/giardia-and-pets.html

It says you should disinfect all types of area's until the pet gets well.  It also gives information on how long the Giardia survives on surfaces.

I hope he feels better very soon.  Oh it was nasty as an adult - I was so so sick - I can't imagine how he must feel.  Poor thing!

Why so? Is there a reaction bet the biotic and the metro?

The probiotics/yogart were our idea from the cat site...I' m afraid about all we get from the local vets are drug recommendations.
Thanks

The probiotics are to help the good bacteria in the gut, and metro can kill off the good bacteria as well as the bad.  No point in giving probiotics unless you give them a chance to work.