Clinical Signs
Clinical signs of coccidiosis usually are present or shortly following stress such as weather changes, weaning, overcrowding, long automobile or plane riders, relocation to a new home and new owners and/ or unsanitary conditions. Symptoms or signs of coccidiosis will depend on the state of the disease at the time of observation. In general, coccididosis affects the intestinal tract and symptoms are associated with it. In mild cases, only a watery diarrhea may be present, and if blood is present on the feces, it is only in small amounts. Severely affected animals may have a thin, watery feces with considerable amounts of intestinal mucosa and blood. Straining usually is evident, rapid dehydration, weights loss and anorexia (off feed) also may be clinically visible. One of the most prevalent cannie coccidia is S. tenella and during autopsies of dead animals appears as microscopic muscle cysts in the host animal. Oocysts on the feces of dogs are also microscopic in size and can only be positively identified through lab tests or direct observation under a microscope.
Coccidia is an "opportunist protozoa" that lives in the bowels of all dogs. ALL DOG CARRY COCCIDIA. But something has got to weak the immune system of an animal for the protozoa to have an opportunity to take hold and start multiplying. That "something" is usually stress of one kind or another. STRESS IS A LARGE FACTOR IN COCCIS. Coccidia is usual accompanied by a loose, stinky stool that can even have streaks of bloody mucus in it. Some Vets will explain Coccidia to their clients by saying the animals is leaded with parasites. This is sometimes interpreted by the client that the animal has worms. Coccidia is not exactly a parasite but can be just as hard to get rid of. A daily supply of yogurt prevents Coccidia from getting a foot hold as it keeps a good balance of bacteria in the G.I. tract. So long as good bacteria exists in an ample supply in the gut, coccidia can not grow. Coccidia is shed in the stool like virus. If the animals is not shedding it when a stool sample is taken, the animal can be misdiagnosed as being free of the protozoa. If your puppy is put on antibiotics of any sort, feed yogurt or replenish the good bacteria that is killed off by the antibiotic. It will in no way affect the antibiotics from completing it's job but may save animal from secondary infections caused by an imbalance of good bacteria. When coccidia does exist in the G.I. tract of your puppy, it can easily spread up through the system and into the lungs and if unchecked, it can cause pneumonia and eventually death. The first signs of coccidia is usually a lack of eating properly accompanied by a loose stinky stool and sometimes escalating into bouts of hypoglycemia. Coccidia should never be allowed to progress to a point that the puppy's life is threatened. If your puppy shows signs of this disease, immediately seek professional advice and treatment.
Medication should be given for at least 7-10 days total. Prescription ALBON (sulfa drug) or Amproilium is the most common coccidiostats used to treat coccidia infections.
What is Giardiasis?
Giardia is an intestinal infection caused by a parasitic protozoan (single celled organism) called "Giardia lamblia". There protozoans are found in the intestines of many animals, including dogs and human. This microscopic parasite clings to the surface of the intestine, or floats free in the mucous lining the intestine. Giardia lives and reproduces in the small intestine of host animals. Giardia trophozoites, the free living stage of the organism, form infective cysts that are passed out in the feces. Giardia infections are transmitted via ingestion of trophozoites or cysts in contaminated water or food. Giardia causes its unpleasant effects on the body not by invading the tissue, but simply by being in the way. It multiplies to the point where is sort of paves the lining of the intestine and clocks normal digestion (malabsorption). This cause only particularly digested food to get lower in the digestive tract than it should, causing diarrhea. Medication should be given for at least 5-10 days. Prescription FLAGYL (Metronidazole) is the most common diardiostats used to treat diardia infections.
