Giardia ELISA
Diagnostic testing enables our team to pinpoint the underlying cause of your pet’s symptoms, diagnosing their condition(s). We want our pet parents to be involved in the decision-making process, and we thoroughly discuss the diagnostic testing we recommend for your pet and their diagnostic test results. Personalizing your pet’s diagnostic plan ensures we avoid unnecessary tests and procedures while leading us to a more personalized and effective treatment plan.
Diagnostic Overview
Giardia ELISA
A Giardia ELISA test is considered the gold standard for detecting Giardia. Giardia shed cysts intermittently and may not be detected on a routine intestinal parasite screen if the organism is not actively shedding. A Giardia ELISA test can detect antigens to Giardia with high accuracy. Sensitivity is a test’s ability to identify pets with a disease accurately, and specificity is its ability to correctly identify pets without a disease. This test is both extremely sensitive (92%) and specific (99%). It is usually reserved for pets displaying signs such as vomiting or diarrhea or those coming from high-risk areas. Testing is generally recommended only for the initial diagnosis of Giardia because some pets may remain positive for several months after treatment.