Happy Bend Kennel

Giardia is a very common parasite found in 70 to 80% of all Dogs. A dog drinks stagnant water gets Giardia then carries it, each Dog catches it from that carrier that drinks from the same water or smells each other. Grown Dogs are not effected by Giardia, but Puppies are and must be treated.

My Puppies Always test Negative for this here at the Kennel. Each Puppy Always gets a Fecal Exam at the Veterinarian as we leave here on our Puppy Delivery trips, it’s always Negative and this Negative Fecal will be in writing on your Health Certificate from my Veterinarian, but under stress at a new Home this same Puppy can now Test Positive for Giardia. It’s a part of Dog Breeding, no way of getting around it. If your Puppy Test Positive for it the best form of Treatment for it is Metronidazole (Antibiotic)  and Panacure or Safe-Guard Dewormer together for 6 days. Some Veterinarian’s want to just give one of these and try it, sometimes only one form of this Treatment will work, other times, no, and now you have to go back and use the 2 together to knock it out. Sanitize very thoroughly if your Puppy comes down with Giardia, the Puppy can catch it again from sniffing where it pooped before and now your Puppy has Giardia again. Some people take their Puppy out into the World of Giardia way too young. What is the World of Giardia? Anywhere Dogs have been or currently at, Doggie Daycare, Training Classes, Dog Park, Pet Smart, Rest Stop, out back of McDonalds ect.. if your Puppy keeps catching Giardia, look at his/her environment and see where the Puppy is catching it at. Giardia can be caught over and over just like a Child going to School and catching head lice over and over. Touch one Dog that has it on his coat, now your Dog has it in your house. Normally after 9 to 10 months of age you will never know if it has Giardia, but in Puppies it effects them much worse.  Giardia is very easily treated, but very easily caught again. Keep the Stress down as low as possible and this will help. I asked my Veterinarian one time, why will one Puppy out of a Litter test Positive for Giardia and not the others after they get to the new Home, he said “it’s all in the Immune system of each Puppy to be able to fight it off under stress at the new Home". We may have 1 Puppy out of 50 Test Positive for this at the new Home, but it does happen.

What Is Coccidia?   From Pet MD 

Coccidia, also known as canine Cystoisospora spp. (formerly Isospera), is a protozoan parasite that can infect the gastrointestinal tract of dogs.

These tiny-celled parasites live in the wall of the intestine. Coccidia is most common in puppies but can also infect adult dogs as well as cats.

What Are the Symptoms of Coccidia in Dogs and Puppies?

Here are the most common signs of coccidia in dogs and puppies, and what you might see if a dog is severely infected.

Coccidia symptoms include: 

• Diarrhea that’s watery or bloody or has mucus

• Weight loss

• Dehydration

Severe signs of coccidia in puppies and dogs include: 

• Not eating (anorexia)

• Vomiting

• Depression

• Death

However, some dogs with coccidia can be asymptomatic and not show any signs of being infected. These infected dogs can still shed the egg-like structure in their feces and infect other dogs or puppies, so it’s important that your dog has a fecal exam at their annual and biannual vet visits.

How Do Dogs and Puppies Get Coccidia?

Dogs can get coccidia by ingesting the oocyst (immature coccidia) from a contaminated environment, such as soil or feces that contains coccidia.

Young puppies are more likely to become infected with coccidia when they are exposed to contaminated dog feces due to their underdeveloped immune system. This is why it is so important for puppies to have multiple fecal exams throughout their puppy visits with their veterinarian.

Stressful situations (traveling or moving to a new home environment), immunosuppression, or additional chronic diseases can make dogs more susceptible to coccidia infection.

Coccidia last 1 year on dirt, so be careful taking your Puppy out to high Doggie traffic areas. 

I want people to be aware of these things so they understand just what Parasites are out there, even in your own Back Yard.

It seems the Breeder is always the one to blame for the simplest things even after it's in the new Home.  It's the very Reason each Puppy gets a Fecal Exam the day we head out to deliver all the babies to the new homes. 

Worm Eggs:

One sniff of the wrong poop and now your new Puppy has just inhaled worm eggs by the hundreds.

All of our Puppies get a Fecal Exam at our Veterinarian the day we leave out to deliver the litter. All of our Puppies Always have a Negative Fecal results...meaning No Parasites. This is the Scientific Proof that each Puppy had no Parasites when in our care. 

 We require you to collect a fecal sample from your puppies first poop and take that sample to your Veterinarian the first day your Veterinarian is open for a Fecal  Exam on that stool.