Coccidia- Vent

[Lightplum]

From what I have been reading today about canine coccidia, it can be prevented!

Keeping the area in which dogs and puppies play, clean of feces can prevent it. Limiting exposure to where momma dogs and pups can roam is important too. Coccidia might not completely be a sanitary issue, however keeping feces picked up where the dogs and puppies live and play, will help prevent it.

reasonable....until they go outside...I dont care how clean you keep your area...if you have wildlife running though the same area you have you puppies...which most of us in the NE have bunnies,mice, chipmunks..etc running all over the place they are bound to pick it up.

The majority of our coccidia is coming from outside sources.

But back to the topic...I agree with Stacey I dont know why they dont just pre-treat the dogs instead of waiting and seeing...

 

[Megansmom]

reasonable....until they go outside...I dont care how clean you keep your area...if you have wildlife running though the same area you have you puppies...which most of us in the NE have bunnies,mice, chipmunks..etc running all over the place they are bound to pick it up.

The majority of our coccidia is coming from outside sources.

But back to the topic...I agree with Stacey I dont know why they dont just pre-treat the dogs instead of waiting and seeing...

We have plenty of wildlife here in S.E. Texas.. From what our breeder told us, when momma dog and pups have limited exposure to even wild life feces, the chances of coccidia are pretty slim.

In staying on topic, if the pups and momma are kept in a very clean area, all the necessary shots and deworming is done, coccidia shouldn't be much of an issue.

Prevention is what I am referring to.

 

[missjenneygirl]

Maybe in your area of SE Texas it is an arid climate, with a more sandy soil. But I totally agree with Linda, if my dogs walk on the ground, coccidia is somewhere nearby. And for me, it has nothing to do with picking up dog debris, that is a non issue. I would have to find every bunny raisen in an acre and a half fenced yard. Don't forget the squirrel tootles!

I think the moist fertile soil in New England just lets it all ferment.

 

[Megansmom]

Maybe in your area of SE Texas it is an arid climate, with a more sandy soil. But I totally agree with Linda, if my dogs walk on the ground, coccidia is somewhere nearby. And for me, it has nothing to do with picking up dog debris, that is a non issue. I would have to find every bunny raisen in an acre and a half fenced yard. Don't forget the squirrel tootles!

I think the moist fertile soil in New England just lets it all ferment.

Ha ha ha, sorry, I like how you called squirrel droppings tootles. Unfortunately Houston Texas is one of the most humid muggy places in the U.S.

Okay, I have to ask this question, my pets have never contracted coccidia, even as puppies, and we go on walks all over the place...so why not? We don't live in a rural area, we are in the suburbs so I suppose that might be a factor.

 

[Lightplum]

Maybe in your area of SE Texas it is an arid climate, with a more sandy soil. But I totally agree with Linda, if my dogs walk on the ground, coccidia is somewhere nearby. And for me, it has nothing to do with picking up dog debris, that is a non issue. I would have to find every bunny raisen in an acre and a half fenced yard. Don't forget the squirrel tootles!

I think the moist fertile soil in New England just lets it all ferment.

I am rolling on the couch dying laughing...Squirrel tootles...

 

[danisgoat]

Ha ha ha, sorry, I like how you called squirrel droppings tootles. Unfortunately Houston Texas is one of the most humid muggy places in the U.S.

Okay, I have to ask this question, my pets have never contracted coccidia, even as puppies, and we go on walks all over the place...so why not? We don't live in a rural area, we are in the suburbs so I suppose that might be a factor.

Count yourself lucky

Coccidia spores can live for years and years in the soil. I am assuming it is more prevalent on the east coast, versus in Texas. And, we have LOTS of wildlife here as well as farmland with cattle.

I lost a baby goat to coccidia It was so sad. It is actually very common over here on the East Coast and it is not because all of us east coasters are dirty

 

[mcemily]

At 8 weeks the litter goes to the vet for their first vaccine and a fecal on all the puppies, WITH a test for coccidia. All clear. Then the pups go to their homes at week 9, and within a week, problems can arise. In all good faith, we send our pups to new families healthy and thriving. Then get a phone call that there is a problem. I want to pull my hair out.

Yep... this is basically how it went down with Lerwick. We picked him up at 8 weeks, and he and the other puppies had just been to the vet to be checked over and get their first booster shots, and all had gotten the all-clear. A few days after we brought him home, we took him to our vet to get the once-over first visit... again, all clear on the fecal (though she did seem to think he was awfully small). He had fairly runny stool (no blood, thankfully), but any number of things can contribute to that, and he was only a few days into his new home with new people... it wasn't unreasonable to think the loose stool could be stress-related. However, he continued to have loose stool. He wasn't really showing any other signs of being sick, though. Fortunately, we were going to the vet every 4 weeks for the puppy vaccines, and it so happened that at the 12-week visit, the fecal exam revealed coccidia. We treated him, and that was the end of it. It was then we learned that our super-relaxed, laid-back puppy wasn't, in fact, super-relaxed and laid-back... he was sick! After being treated for coccidia he was like a different puppy. He had way more energy and was much more interested in getting into trouble, LOL.

The vet wasn't really surprised that he had coccidia, or that it had taken a couple vet visits to catch it, because apparently it can be somewhat elusive... but it does seem a shame that if it is really as easily preventable as Connie's homemade remedy, that it isn't standard practice amongst breeders to treat their puppies before sending them home.

 

[missjenneygirl]

I have used the same vet for almost 20 years. I have practically begged him over the years to give me Albon to treat the litter before leaving for their new homes. My question would always start with "Isn't there anything that we can give them to ward off an episode?" To which, he said, no.

In Canada there used to be a pill, you would give one to each puppy at around 8 weeks, and that was the end of it. Well, I heard they took it off the market.

So, out of frustration I started doing research to see how other breeders, not necessarily just sheltie breeders handled this issue. And that is how I found out about the mix. But everyone I spoke with in the North East had the same problem.

I don't understand why a pill can't be developed here for just this use.

Maybe Dr. Shelli has some thoughts. My vet is tired of hearing me rant on this issue. The bottom line is this, since using the mix, I have solved the problem.

 

[HopeShelties]

Well, I must not have had coccidia infected dogs here prior to this at all. Another has diarrhea this morning. :/
All I can say at this point is it's a good thing I use that recipe, as buying Albon from the vet for 8 dogs wouldn't be cheap.
I can't even go to my conformation handling lesson or obedience lesson today because several of them are showing signs, including 2 of the 3 I would be working. I'm not about to take them out to the training building and potentially share it with everyone else.

 

[mgarnett06]

Prevention is key but never 100%.

My two came from the same breeder, but different litters and unrelated. Sadie didn't have any issues with any worms or coccidia. Kileaux tested positive for coccidia at her 12 week check up(second check up with us, 4 weeks since we brought her home.

You win some, you lose some. Bringing home a puppy, I never expect them to be 100% healthy, so being delightfully surprised when Sadie was, well, that was just icing on the cake of getting a new puppy!