Coccidia

Liability Disclaimer: I am not a veterinarian, and do not wish for you to use this information to diagnose a problem. Instead, it is offered as "food for thought" for responsible and educated dog owners.

Pronunciation: (cock sid' ee uh)

What is it?: Coccidia is a protozoa that causes diarrhea in puppies and that occurs usually when they are stressed. We have seen it every now and then when we wean and when puppies go to new homes, although with our recent care program, it has become rare here, thankfully!

What Causes the Symptoms? About 60% of all puppies have coccidia parasite in their digestive systems.  Many puppies are never physically affected by this protozoa.  Stress (such as when a puppy leaves its littermates for a new home) can cause the coccidia to flourish, and this can lead to diarrhea. In extreme cases, the puppy can get severely dehydrated, so it's best to just medicate preventatively in our opinion. We have a strict regimen of prevention while puppies are here.

An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure: Like most people that raise puppies and that have educated themselves, we treat preventatively for coccidia because it is very hard to avoid having on the property. In fact, I've seen references that indicate that ALL kennels have coccidia.

It can theoretically be carried by bugs (especially flies), and definitely by rabbits, mice, squirrels, cats, dogs, and other animals. So, when dogs and puppies play in the yard, they can pick up the oocytes. Since we don't believe in keeping puppies in little above-the-ground cages 24 hours per day and 7 days per week (that would not be fun for them OR for us), we know they will be exposed. Yours will too, when you allow him or her to walk on grass in your yard or at parks. 

Preventive Treatment: We treat several times before puppies leave us with 1/4th  cc of Ponazuril (Bayer) per 5 lbs of puppy weight, which is actually an anti-protozoal medicine for horses that have EPM. It is very expensive to buy, so most people don't use it. A similar medication might be Toltrazuril (Bayer's Baycox), which I have just recently tried since 2016 (both Ponazuril and Toltrazuril appear to work, as we have not had a problem for years). It should be given about every 2 weeks, as the life cycle of coccidia is 13 or 14 days according to an online source I recently saw. I have also seen a reference to treat puppies at day 4, then 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 weeks of age.

Another option is daily Albon or daily Corid for 10 days, which is also very cheap but much more work. Some people use Corid for 21 days. In my opinion and experience, these just don't work well.

Common Treatments and Preventions:

Albon Inexpensive

Corid Inexpensive

Ponazuril Very expensive initial cost, but worth it!
Off-label use

Baycox Expensive, but worth it!
Off-label use

Note To Dog Breeders:
I'm getting a lot of inquiries from dog breeders who see this web page, and whose vets will not give them a prescription for Ponazuril. Please don't call me, as I am NOT a veterinarian and can't give you a prescription.

This is all I can tell you to help:

• Number 1: The cost is about $200+ for a tube of Ponazuril. A cheaper solution for you is to spend $15 on Albon or Corid (or generic equivalents) from Lambriar Vet Supply or other company. Some are using the less expensive Baycox (Toltrazuril) from sites like https://racehorsemeds.com . As with all medications, follow your veterinarian's dosage recommendations!  Resistance to Albon is occurring, probably because of improper usage (not giving it long enough, not giving correct dosage, etc.)

• Number 2: At this time, a prescription is needed before you can obtain Ponazuril.  Here is a study you can show your vet (abstract only) if he/she has not heard of this. Cornell has a short info page with dosages here. If you can't get a prescription from YOUR veterinarian, contact local shelters to see if they can refer you to a veterinarian that is familiar with it and who writes their prescriptions.

• Number 3: Ponazuril may or may not cure active infections. I've seen this both ways: Some studies report that Ponazuril is not an effective treatment for puppies that HAVE an active, symptomatic case of coccidia. They say it is a preventive treatment that works if used following the schedule on this page or one from your veterinarian. Other studies say it can be used to treat active infections, especially if given 3 days in a row.

• Number 4: Prevention is the best medicine. Some references indicate that treating puppies at 3 days, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks and 10 weeks with Ponazuril or Toltrazuril (Baycox) will rid puppies of coccidia and prevent later outbreaks. Another study reportedly recommends a 13-day interval due to the life cycle of coccidia being less than 14 days.

• Rabbit, dog, mice, and many other animal breeders and pet shelters are using Ponazuril and Toltrazuril for coccidia and toxoplasmosis.

• Your vet may require you to buy 4 tubes of Ponazuril (Bayer Marquis) for $800. Still want to use it? Get a prescription and get one tube only (about $200) from this location. Here is another location that will sell one tube at a time: 1-859-246-0112  vet@riddlepharmacy   info@rrvp.com

• Breeders: Please don't call me to ask about Ponazuril, and it would be nice if you wouldn't e-mail asking for info (because I'm not a vet, and have put this page up to help you). I've offered what I know here on this page. I am not a vet, and can not give the necessary prescription to you. More information is published online frequently about the use and effectiveness of Ponazuril, so my page is possibly already out of date. I can't give any of my medicine to you. There's nothing I can do to help you get it. You simply must ask your veterinarian (or a horse/equine veterinarian) for a prescription. I'm sorry to sound mean, but as I'm getting multiple phone calls and e-mails per week and spending too much of my time trying to explain this, I hope to avoid that wasted time by placing this message here.