Evaluation of different doses of nitazoxanide compared to standard doses of metronidazole in the treatment of canine giardiasis (Canis familiaris)

The aim of the present investigation was to evalúate three doses of nitazoxanide compared to metronidazole for canine giardiosis, we used 32 canines between 3 and 4 months of age, were randomly divided into 4 groups: T0 (metronidazole 25 mg / kg BID for 5 days, T1 (nitazoxanide 2 mg / kg BID for 3 days), T2 nitazoxanide (3 mg / kg BID for 3 days) and T3 nitazoxanide (4 mg / kg BID for 3 days), the effective dose of nitazoxanide was determined , comparing its percentage of efficacy with metronidazole, the number of cysts of Giardia spp., through the concentration method by Willis flotation, body temperature, capillary filling time (TLLC), cutaneous pinch test to determine the percentage of dehydration of each canine, as well as the macroscopic analysis of stool (consisteney, color, odor, presence of mucus or blood) .An analysis of covariance (ANOVA) was performed for the variable expulsión of cysts of Giardia spp., in addition to an analysis of variance for the other variables, the comparison ofmeans was made by Tukey test at 5%. The results obtained were T3 nitazoxanide (4 mg / kg BID for 3 days) with an efficacy of 97.9% compared to metronidazole 67.8% at the end of the treatment. The symptomatology no individual presented fever, feces improved in appearance from day 4 with a better resolution in T3, vomiting oceurred at day 2 only in individuáis treated with metronidazole, in terms of the percentage of dehydration T1 obtained 8% because the resolution of the diarrheatook a little longer, unlike the other groups. In this investigation, no adverse effect to nitazoxanide was reported.