What is coccidiosis in dogs?
Dog Coccidiosis is an intestinal tract infection caused by a one-celled organism (protozoa) called coccidia. Coccidia are sub-classified into a number of genera, and each genus has a number of species. Some six different genera of coccidia can infect dogs. They are microscopic parasites that spend part of their life cycle in the lining cells of the intestine. Most infections are not associated with any detectable clinical signs (they are sub-clinical). Most clinical infections in dogs are caused by the species Isospora canis. Cryptosporidium parvum is another coccidian parasite that may cause diarrhea in some puppies. How did my dog become infected with coccidia? Oocysts (immature coccidia) are passed in the stool of an infected dog. They are very resistant to environmental conditions and can survive for some time on the ground. Under the right conditions of temperature and humidity these oocysts sporulate. If the sporulated oocysts are ingested by a susceptible dog they will release s
