Understanding Giardia

What is Giardia?
Giardiasis is a diarrheal illness caused by a single celled microscopic parasite, Giardia canis. There are many species of giardia and they are found throughout the U.S. and rest of the world.

Giardia has 2 stages in its life cycle, a motile feeding stage that lives in the intestine and a non-motile cyst stage that passes in the feces. The life cycle begins with ingested cysts which release the trophozoites into the upper...

Since BD retired from his world travels, the BDP family has adopted a new mascot, and he’s going around the world, visiting members and keeping a journal of his adventures.


Meet Slinger, the Porch’s newest traveling mascot! Slinger loves to travel and would like to see the world, but he needs help from the members of his Porch Family. He will need a comfortable place...