Coccidia in Pets

Coccidia is an organism that not all pet owners may be familiar with. It is found in the stool of affected patients. Interestingly it can also be found in the stool of patients that are not currently symptomatic as well. Another great reason to screen stool samples every 6-12 months in pets.

 

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The most commonly affected are young puppies and kittens. Infections can range from mild to very serious. Symptoms can range from loose stool, mild vomiting, not eating all the way to severe dehydration. Most animals will pick them up from contaminated soil, but coccidia can also be obtained from eating another animals stool that is currently shedding the organism. That being said, the most common coccidia infections are species specific. So your dog cannot affect your cat and vice versa. As for people it is always a good idea to wash your hands, there are some forms of these organisms that can affect humans but we will cover those in another post!

 

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There is good news, there is treatment for pets that have Coccidia. Most of the time the medication will stop the replication of the organism and the immune system will wipe out the rest. To help prevent re-infestation practicing good hygiene and keeping the yard and litter box picked up regularly are definitely important! The cysts stage of Coccidia can be difficult to kill and may actually require steam and washing. Breeding facilities and high pet traffic areas may need to consider treating all in contact animals. Caution will need to be used with several medication if treating a pregnant dog.

 

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A couple of great websites can be found here and here for more information!