Giardia (G.) duodenalis is a ubiquitous enteric protozoan, which infects canines in all parts of the globe, resulting in acute or chronic diarrhea, malabsorption and poor growth, especially among puppies and those with weakened immunity. Traditional chemotherapeutics, including metronidazole, benzimidazoles are still the foundation of therapy; however, drug resistance, residue issues and toxicity problems raised the attention to new alternative strategies. Medicinal plants yield phytochemicals with varied bioactivities, such as antiparasitic activity, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects and would be potential candidates in the management of canine giardiasis. However, most of the available evidence is derived from in vitro and experimental animal models, with very limited direct validation in naturally infected dogs. Polyphenols, flavonoids, saponins, tannins and terpenoids have direct trophozoiticidal activity and disrupt adhesion, membrane integrity and parasite metabolism. This highlights a significant translational gap between experimental findings and clinical veterinary application. This review critically examines the pathogenesis and zoonotic importance of G. duodenalis in dogs, represents the constraints of conventional treatments and covers botanical compounds as a new form of therapeutics, their mechanisms of action and future research in veterinary parasitology.

To Cite This Article: Alkheraije KA, 2026. phytochemicals as emerging therapeutics for the control of Giardia duodenalis in canines. Pak Vet J, 46(5): 1081-1091. http://dx.doi.org/10.29261/pakvetj/2026.098