Q: Doctor Mike: Please give me as much information as possible as to the cause and treatment
of coccidia in puppies.
Cats can become infected
with coccidia by ingesting soil that contains the single - celled parasite, or by eating a rodent that is infected with it.
On the other hand, the incubation period
for coccidia from the time of exposure to the onset of the illness is about 13 days.
Learn about the signs, diagnosis, and prevention of
coccidia in puppies.
Veterinarian Lila Miller, points out how puppies with roundworms or protozoans such
as coccidia, are more susceptible to parvo.
«Coccidiosis in dogs is caused by dog
coccidia parasites that are ingested after eating fecal matter.
Using a «wet mount preparation» of a fresh fecal sample and a microscope, veterinarians can identify the eggs of roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, and whipworms as well as protozoal organisms
like coccidia, and Giardia.
It is possible for dogs to ingest the rabbit feces and
coccidia organisms within them and for those organisms to show up in a fecal examination done on the dog's stools.
Most pets are very responsive to treatment and recover quickly
from coccidia infection.
A common cause of diarrhea in puppies, and less commonly adult dogs, is a protozoal parasite
called coccidia.
Dogs and cats contract
coccidia by ingesting soil or grass contaminated with eggs or ingesting small animals, like mice, infected with the parasites.
Since incredible numbers of oocysts are shed from infected pets, the environmental contamination with
coccidia oocysts is severe.
The most common species of
coccidia found in cats do not infect humans.
There are so many different kinds of intestinal parasites, it is ideal to know which one he has, but it won't hurt to treat him with an over-the-counter dewormer - most will cover at least hookworms, but
not coccidia.
It takes about thirteen days for illness to develop after the kitten first
ingests coccidia.
In cats and dogs,
most coccidia are of the genus called Isospora.
The majority of puppy dogs which are sick from
coccidia tend to be, 14 days of age and older.
The puppies suffered from viral and parasitic infections,
including coccidia, giardia and parvovirus.
When
treating coccidia in puppies, Albon Tabs or Albon Suspension are often the first choice.
The parasite encysted stage (oocysts) are easy to see and identify in fecal floatation tests and after the first few days, the number of
coccidia seen correlate well with the severity of symptoms the pet is experiencing.
Unsporulated Ooctocysts (
immature coccidia eggs) are shed in feces which then passes to another host / dog
Other parasites, such as roundworms, whipworms and
coccidia produce eggs and cysts that make them very difficult to destroy and keep environments contaminated for long periods — even years.
Single - celled Giardia blocks nutrient absorption and is thought to produce a mild toxin
while coccidia enter and destroy the cells of the finger - like projections (villi) that allow nutrient absorption from your dog's intestine.
Single - celled Giardia block nutrient absorption and is thought to produce a mild toxin while
coccidia enter and destroy the cells of the finger - like projections (villi) that allow nutrient absorption from your dog's intestine.
The above photograph
shows coccidia oocysts seen under the microscope in a fecal sample.
As the puppy matures it tends to develop a natural immunity to the effects of
coccidia if the immune system is kept strong.
As an adult it may
carry coccidia in its intestines, shed the cysts in the feces, but experience no ill effects what so ever.
One
cat coccidia, Toxoplasma, is a particular threat to pregnant women.
Experienced veterinarians and technicians can easily recognize these eggs and can often determine the species of
coccidia causing the infection.
Hi I have a 8 week old rotti who had diarrhea and was diagnosed with
coccidia diarrhea has not improved to vet gave King pro pectalin paste he still has diarrhea and when he poops a small red part of his bottom comes out but goes back in what should I do
Most dogs have reasonably good immunity to
coccidia after reaching their adult years.
Treatment for
coccidia often includes oral antibiotics called sulfonamides, which control the parasites causing harm in your cat's digestive tract.
If your darling young dog
gets coccidia resulting in diarrhea, he could become dehydrated from fluid loss.
This means that each parasite species can infect only one host species,
so coccidia that infect cats would be harmless to dogs.
The
intestinal coccidia (which can cause diarrhea with mucus and sometimes streaks of blood in it) has a nasty cousin (Eimeria stiedae) that infects the liver.
Although coccidia primary spread between cats through fecal contamination, mice and other vermin can spread the parasite between cats when their bodies when they accidentally become contaminated.
Our dog was just brought into our home at 2 years of age and had stress
induced coccidia....
Kennel cough, ear infections, resistant pneumonias, drug -
resisntant coccidia, giardia, demodex, ascarids are a few of the most common and less fatal diseases I see from puppy mill pets.
Puppies generally show symptoms of
coccidia soon after becoming infected, due to their weaker immune systems.
A test called a fecal flotation is performed by the veterinarian to
detect coccidia.