Coccidia & Giardia are protozoa (similar to parasites but not the same). The difficulty with Coccidia and Giardia is that they are made up of microsopic cysts which shed generally after periods of stress. These cysts exist in nearly all dogs but do not affect the dogs (and the dogs also test negative for the presence of these protozoa) unless the cysts burst and the dogs subsequently shed them in their stool. The leading cause for these to burst is stress (i.e. a puppy leaving his/her home and littermates).

These protozoa (once the cysts burst and the dog begins to shed them in their stools) eventually causes diarrhea and if left untreated over excessively long periods of time will escalate to other more serious health ailments (although not dangerous at all when caught and treated early).

The tricky part with protozoa is preventing it in puppies. All of our puppies are treated with Baycox (for coccidia) and Marquis paste (for Giardia). That being said, these medications are only successful in treating these protozoa if the dog is currently shedding the cysts. If they are not shedding at the time they are given the medication, the medication does nothing. We treat all of our puppies preventatively, however sometimes puppies leave us and only begin to test positive for protozoa (either coccidia or giardiasis) after they leave. This is unfortunate, yet totally normal and to be expected.

Every single Fiume Kennels puppy is placed with a complimentary trial period of insurance and this is exactly why. It isn’t costly to treat for protozoa and it’s extremely normal and common for puppies to catch it and it is also extremely contagious to and from other dogs.

If your puppy’s fecal smear reveals that he/she is shedding coccidia or giardiasis, do not be alarmed or panic. We do everything we can to treat and prevent it but because of the nature of protozoa, it’s nearly impossible. It isn’t serious and does not cause any pain or discomfort for your puppy (unless left untreated over long periods).