Owner Must Read

Giardia is an intestinal infection of man and animals caused by a protozoan parasite. “It is not a “Worm,” bacteria, or Virus. Giardia is a simple one-celled parasitic species. The parasite occurs worldwide and is a common cause of “Traveler’s Diarrhea” in people.

This is an “opportunist protozoon” that lives in the bowels of all dogs. Did you understand that? ALL DOGS carry coccidia. But something has got to weaken the immune system of an animal for the protozoa to have an opportunity to take hold and start multiplying. That “something” is usually stress of one kind or another. A loose, stinky stool that can even have streaks of bloody mucus in it usually accompanies coccidia. Some Vets will explain coccidia to their clients by saying the animal is loaded with parasites. This is sometimes interpreted by the client as the animal has worms. Coccidia is not exactly a parasite, but can be just as hard to get rid of. A daily supply of yogurt prevents coccidia from getting a foothold, as it keeps a good balance of bacteria in the G. I. tract. So long as good bacteria exist in an ample supply in the gut, coccidia can not grow. Coccidia is shed in the stool like a virus. If the animal is not shedding it when a stool sample is taken, the animal can be misdiagnosed as being free of the protozoa. If your puppy is put on antibiotics of any sort, feed yogurt to replenish the good bacteria that are killed off by the antibiotic. It will in no way affect the antibiotic from completing its job, but may save your animal from secondary infections caused by an imbalance of good bacteria. When coccidia does exist in the G. I. tract of your puppy, it can easily spread up through the system and into the lungs if unchecked. The first signs of coccidia are usually a lack of eating properly accompanied by a loose stinky stool and sometimes espneumoniacalating into bouts of hypoglycemia. Coccidia can be transmitted to humans if hands are not washed and contaminated utensils are handled improperly. Coccidia should never be allowed to progress to a point where the puppy’s life is threatened. If your puppy shows signs of this disease, immediately seek professional advice and treatment; usually, Albon is given.

Not all families get to choose their puppies; I sometimes place the puppies where I think the puppy will be the best fit for that family. Please remember that everyone wants to pick their puppy; I do my best.

There is Virus everywhere, on the carpet, on every floor, in every yard and park. The virus is shed in the stool for the first two weeks or fewer after the initial infection. Still, only a tiny portion of infection stool which could be months old, depending on the environmental temperature and humidity, is needed to infect a non-immune dog. Some dogs become what is called subclinically infected sick. These animals tend not to be confined since no one knows they are infected. Thus, they can spread the virus around a large area depending on where they leave their dropping. When puppies are born, they are completely unable to make antibodies against any infectious invader. They would be unprotected, except that nature has created a system to protect them. Their mother secretes a specific type of Milk called Colostrum for the first day or two after giving birth. It contains all the antibodies that the mother dog has circulating in her own body, and in this way, she gives her own immune experience to her offspring. These antibodies are protective until they wear off sometime in the first months of the puppy’s life.

I get this question all the time; puppies only get their first vaccination shots at 7 weeks. I do not allow anyone to come over until the day you come to pick up your puppy. I will set a schedule for you to come over between 8–9 weeks to take your puppy home.