# New puppy has Coccidia



## MN GSD Fan (Nov 10, 2012)

So our new puppy that we have had for two weeks has Coccidia. Poor guy was up all night and I couldn't figure out why because he has been sleeping so good in the crate at night. Then this morning he had diarrhea, was puking a little, and was constantly whining and restless so we took him to the vet. $200 later we got him back under control and at home and he seems to be feeling a little better. Is this a bill you think the breeder should cover or even help with after only 2 weeks or is it a common thing in puppies? He was an expensive puppy and has excellent hips/elbows, but I worry about other health issues now. Any thoughts?


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## UnlimitedGSD (Oct 16, 2012)

do you have a contract with the breeder and what does it say?
unless the puppy has been x-rayed (and it's old enough to be x-rayed) you have no idea how his hips/elbows are...


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## Andaka (Jun 29, 2003)

Coccidia is common in puppies, and often waits to present itself after the pup goes to its new home.


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## MN GSD Fan (Nov 10, 2012)

UnlimitedGSD said:


> do you have a contract with the breeder and what does it say?
> unless the puppy has been x-rayed (and it's old enough to be x-rayed) you have no idea how his hips/elbows are...


Yes we do have a contract. I just got home so we'll get it out of the safe and read what it says in regards to this. Sorry what I meant was that both parents had excellent hips/elbows rather than the puppy.


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## MN GSD Fan (Nov 10, 2012)

Andaka said:


> Coccidia is common in puppies, and often waits to present itself after the pup goes to its new home.


Yeah thats what we had read too, but our vet said no reputable breeder would ever have puppies with this? As you mention it seems common, but the vet acted like it was something that should never happen?


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## Doc (Jan 13, 2009)

Coccidia is very common in puppies. Treat with Albon and it is easily eliminated. The bet charging $200.00 bucks to detect Coccidia is highway robbery. It is a simple fecal test and the symptoms, especially in pups, is a clear indication. Stress weakens the immune system and triggers the organisms. The pup could of picked up the Coccidia in your own yard or any place it has been.


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## robinhuerta (Apr 21, 2007)

Your vet is COMPLETELY wrong.....
Coccidia is a *common* micro organism that can be present in ANY dog or puppy.
The difference is_......in puppies_, ..it is more noticable because puppies tend to fall "physically ill" when it presents itself.
ANY breeder, ANY owner can have a puppy present with Coccidia (especially after a stressful situation).

*I hate when vets make ignorant comments.*


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## MN GSD Fan (Nov 10, 2012)

robinhuerta said:


> Your vet is COMPLETELY wrong.....
> Coccidia is a *common* micro organism that can be present in ANY dog or puppy.
> The difference is_......in puppies_, ..it is more noticable because puppies tend to fall "physically ill" when it presents itself.
> ANY breeder, ANY owner can have a puppy present with Coccidia (especially after a stressful situation).
> ...


Good to know...as I mentioned I was under the same impression, but after the vet said that I was a little nervous. He seems to be doing much better today already based on how many times I got my arm chewed on so hopefully he'll be alright.


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## BlackthornGSD (Feb 25, 2010)

If the puppy was fine for the first 2 weeks home, it's more likely that the puppy picked up something in the last week.

Coccidia is very widespread and extremely difficult to eradicate. A good breeder knows it may be a problem and takes steps to minimize the problems the puppy and new owner will face. However, if this was a problem that came from the breeder's place, then you would have had problems the first few days home.

This past year seems to have been a really bad one for coccidia and giardia in many areas of the US--perhaps because of the very mild winter last year? 

The medicines to treat coccidia are very inexpensive--it's the surrounding testing that can add up the $$.


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## Kejasa (Jul 8, 2012)

I've always heard coccidia takes about two weeks after exposure to present with symptoms. You are right around the cut off, so the pup could have come with it or could have picked it up right when it got home. My hunch would be that the pup came with it. As everyone else said, coccidia is common and fairly easy to treat.


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## LauraJav (Nov 29, 2012)

Sounds exactly like us- $245 and coccidia. We paid a lot for pup as well. 
I am just happy we caught it.
The $245 included puppy well visit and meds for c.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

I agree with the others..And also agree 200 bucks for a coccidia diagnosis seems pretty darn HIGH to me..Basically it's a fecal, your office visit and meds..


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

MN GSD Fan said:


> Yeah thats what we had read too, but our vet said no reputable breeder would ever have puppies with this? As you mention it seems common, but the vet acted like it was something that should never happen?


I disagree. One of the other puppies in my last dog's litter had it. The breeder is a very good breeder. One of the new owners called her so she let everyone else know that we should watch for signs or have our vet do a fecal. I was taking my puppy in that day anyway but he never got it. If he had I would have just treated it. It is not uncommon and should not be indicative of bad breeding or a negligent breeder. I believe they can get it from stuff like rabbit feces and some puppies will eat anything!


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## Verivus (Nov 7, 2010)

It's very easy for puppies to get Coccidia, so no your breeder doesn't owe you anything. Why was your visit so expensive? Only things I can think of that they would charge is an exam, fecal, and meds.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

The medicine, I thought, was relatively spendy.
But coccidia is quite common and we've had it a number of times in our rescue, they come in with it, it gets stuck here then gets transferred to others. 
We have purchased a big 1gal. bottle of the sulfa- drug to treat it at home, in fact.

Part of the problem is, it's not like parvo with a distinct timeline, a puppy can have it and not have symptoms, until it is stressed - things like going to a new home, change of diet, leaving it's litter, vaccines (possibly) and even spay/neuter can stress the puppy's immune system to where the coccidia rears it's head.

A breeder with it on the property and puppies leaving breeder's with it (becoming ill in new home of course, the stress) is so common as to not even be an issue.


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## DollBaby (Oct 31, 2012)

Coccidia is common.. can even get it in the yard from bird poop. Easily treated with Albon. Your Vet seems a bit over priced.. I'd ask why so much


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Our vet says coccidia birds carry isn't transmittable to dogs. I don't necessarily agree with that, but that's what she says.
She's the one who went to vet school


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## mosul210 (Mar 23, 2012)

Just to echo on what has been said coccidia is very common among pups. My last pup was diagnosed with the disease and treated with Albon. Most pups respond well after the first treatment of 7-10 days, in my pup's case it took a second treatment of Albon to completely erradicate the disease.


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## DollBaby (Oct 31, 2012)

msvette2u said:


> Our vet says coccidia birds carry isn't transmittable to dogs. I don't necessarily agree with that, but that's what she says.
> She's the one who went to vet school


Just differences of professional opinions I guess lol. My (former vet, different state) said they can, and she went to vet school too


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Merck Veterinary Manual


"Poultry coccidia are strictly host-specific, and the different species parasitize specific parts of the intestine. Coccidia are distributed worldwide in poultry and wild birds. (See also cryptosporidiosis, Cryptosporidiosis.)"


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## KristenMarino13 (Jan 10, 2013)

I have a beagle and when I got her she had soft stool the day i picked her up I toke her to my job we did a fecal test she had round worms after the breeder told me she over dewormed her so I treated that when I toke her home she had soft stool with blood in it so I called up my boss which is the head vet at my job and she said bring another fecal on top of all this she was acting normal she ate and played so when I brought it in they saw 5 parasites in there coccidia I was given pills of albon for 3 weeks they also have liquid knock on wood I havent seen it since she got it when she was 8 weeks old now she is 8 months im pretty sure she got it from stress cause she was flown to me.. parvo is much much worse than coccida but if not treated or caught from the get go can lead to being fatal if you ever get another dog make sure to bleach your whole house cause the other puppy will catch it ..if the puppy pooped in the yard when they had it ..the first frost will kill the bacteria in the yard Im a receptionist at animal hospital so I see this kind of stuff all the time


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