Diseases in animals and man produce symptoms. For example, when a person has the flu, they may experience many symptoms. Some of these may include cough, fever, headache & muscle aches. Diarrhea is also a symptom of disease. Many viral, bacterial and parasitic diseases in animals will cause diarrhea as a main symptom of disease. One parasitic disease that consistently produces diarrhea is coccidiosis. Coccidia are common, single celled parasites which are found in many animal species throughout the world. Some species that are affected include dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, sheep, goats, cattle and horses.
Young and debilitated animals are most frequently noted to experience the symptom of diarrhea as a result of an infection. Other symptoms may include refusal to eat, dehydration, weakness and straining to defecate. It is believed animals develop some immunity to the effects of coccidia after recovering from the disease. This may explain why adult animals are not often visibly ill with the symptom of diarrhea. These ‘normal’ animals are often the source of an infection for others as the parasite is shed in their manure. Coccidia are host specific. This means many types of animals are infected with coccidia, but the parasite infecting one species can not serve to infect another. For example, the species of coccidia that produces diarrhea in dogs will not infect cattle. The coccidia which infect chickens will not infect sheep etc. All animals become infected by consuming the organism at the infective stage. Animals do this by being in contact with and eating and drinking from contaminated soil or surfaces. Once in the animal’s system, the organism divides and invades the cells of the intestinal tract. The cells lining the inside of the intestine are destroyed. This interrupts the normal digestive process which then leads to diarrhea. If enough damage is done to the tissue, blood will be noted as part of the diarrhea. The time between ingesting the parasite and the development of diarrhea varies between species. The process takes as little as 5 days to complete in poultry and up to 3-4 weeks in cattle. Diagnosing the presence of coccidia is not always easy. A small amount of the fecal material is mixed with a solution that enables the coccidia to float in suspension. Examination of this solution with a microscope is necessary for the coccidia to be visualized. Once a diagnosis has been achieved, treatment consists of one of several oral medications approved for the treatment of coccidiosis given over a period of several days. Groups of animals are often mass medicated in the water or feed.
Prevention of coccidiosis is achieved through good management. Limiting the contamination of feed and water will reduce the transmission of coocidia. Keeping bedding dry and avoiding over crowding are also beneficial in the control of coccidiosis. In situations where an outbreak is likely in spite of good management practices, a lower level of the drugs used to treat the disease can be added to the feed or water to prevent or lessen the occurrence of the symptoms of coccidiosis. | 
Corid
Cocci-Guard