Coccidiosis
From Terri Shumsky's Book "How to Buy and Raise your Toy Dog"
What is Coccidiosis?
Coccidiosis is a disease or condition that
results after certain cells of the body have been
invaded by a one cell parasite. Various coccidia
cause disease in most mammals. It is a serious
condition in cattle, sheep, goats, and rabbits. It is
also present, but less serious, in swine, dogs, cats
and a number of exotic or zoo animals. This
disease is unimportant in horses. In general,
coccidiosis is a disease of the intestinal tract. In
rabbits, coccidiosis may affect the nasal, upper
respriatory membranes and liver as well as the
intestine.
For our interest, this will be limited to the
consideration of the dog and to a lesser degree of
the cat. Several species of coccidia occur in the
small intestines of dogs and cats. The two primary
families are Isospora and Eimeria. Several of
these species are infective for both dogs and cats,
and it is important that you can remember this
when you want to institute a control program.
Coccidiosis is a parasite disease and the
infection results from ingesting infected materials
which contain oocysts. It is a one-cell living
parasite which invades the intestinal walls and it
divides and grows eventually damaging intestal
cells and inflaming the gut resulting in diarrhea,
vomiting, loose stools, loss of blood and eventually
loss of weight. It is not uncommon that fecal
(stool) examination is not found on a first examination of the stool. Sometimes you have to take
several stool samples and they must be examined
immediately in order to find the infective parasite.
This disease can be picked up anywhere at
any time on the pads of the feet and as the dog
licks it's feet, it can be ingested and the process of
the disease begins.
How Does Coccidiosis Affect The Patient?
Fundamentally, Coccidiosis is a disease of
young dogs and cats. The clinical disease may
vary from mild diarrhea to severe infections
causing bloody diarrhea, loss of appetite, weakness
or weight loss. Severe outbreaks are the exception.
The course of the disease may vary from a few
days to ten days. Coccidiosis is seldom fatal,
except where it is complicated with some other
infectious or parasitic disease.
How Widespread Is Coccidiosis?
Healthy, mature animals may act as
sources of infection for young, susceptible puppies.
It's like a social disease because it occurs wherever
there are congregations of young animals...dog
shows, handling classes, parks...anywhere dogs
and people congregate. Poor sanitation and stress,
moving to a new environment, may trigger an
explosion of the Coccidia that are already in the
body in a non-diseased state. It can be spread
from an infected animal to any breeder or pet
owner's dog walking in the park or at a show.
What To Do About Coccidiosis?
Work out a sanitation program to eliminate
reinfection. This is a microscopic parasite. You
cannot see them with the naked eye. Sterilization
and ultra sanitation of pens, feeding utensils is
necessary to stop the perpetuation of this disease
in a kennel situation. Scrub regularly with a good
detergent that contains a non-staining iodine and
disinfectant and allow to dry.
A drug called Albon is an effective
Coccidiostat, which enables you to to interrupt the
disease. This drug is available from your
Veterinarian and is usually given for three to five
days.
This disease can be controlled with good
management, strict sanitation and a pinch of
preventative medication.
Anesthetics
By Terri Shumsky
Buttons was almost 10 months old when his owner took him to their vet, a good family friend for
many years. Though she received all the normal "warnings" about barbituate overdosing on toy dogs,
she felt a great confidence in her Vet that she had for all these years.
He gave a pre-anesthetic tranquizer for intubating which is normal, but then he gave the little 3 pd
dog PENTABARB and the little dog went to sleep forever NEEDLESSLY. Look at this little face, and
weep with us for something that did NOT HAVE
TO HAPPEN. If your vet will not use Isoflurane or gas anesthesia (because it is expensive).... FIND
ANOTHER VET THAT WILL.
Here's some of the comments from veterinarians who have heard of this mishap.
"I can't believe that anyone is still using PENTABARB....
that is only used for severe seizures that NOTHING else will control....a last resort"
"This is unheard of in todays veterinary medicine. This vet is DECADES behind"
This was a fine and healthy, chubby little Yorkshire Terrier, full of mischief and not at all sickly
in any way. An autopsy showed no reason that this dog should have expired other than an overdose.
Even the Vet, who is a family friend, feels very badly about this "overdose".
When your breeder preaches ISOFLURANE.....FIND A VET THAT WILL USE IT BEFORE YOU NEUTER OR SPAY YOUR
LITTLE TOY DOG.
If you are all shocked and moved by this tragedy, please spread the word and Buttons will not have
died in vain.
Thank you
Terri Shumsky
I too had an
experience with anesthetics. My mother got one of our Yorkies (Pee Wee) neutered. The vet
(a family friend) gave him too much anesthetia and he ended up having a problem with seizures and
became a very SLOW thinking animal.
He was the most loveable animal of the five, and was always
warm-hearted. He loved me more than anything, and only SAW me in his eyes. The only thing he would
leave my side for was food (but can you blame him). Anyhow, he had seizures 2 - 3 times a month and
we put him on phenobarbital. These slowed his seizures to 1 - 2 a year, but we knew it would take
his toll on his liver - which it did. We were told he would only live 3 - 4 years, but he made it
until 7.