Dogs are known for having unique personalities.
They’re also known as man’s best friends. What they’re not known for is their pleasant poop.
Dog poop, like human poop, varies in smell and consistency based on what they’ve been eating.
But no matter how bad your dog’s poo smells, you should always make sure you understand the basics of what it looks like.
Here’s a guide to one kind of dog poop: coccidia dog poop.
What is Coccidia?
Coccidia is a single-celled parasite that can cause intestinal disease in dogs.
It’s also called Isospora and coccidium, but you’ll often hear it referred to as “coccidiosis” or simply “the cocci.”
Coccidia is protozoa—single-celled parasites that look like animals from the phylum Cnidaria.
They’re smaller than a pinhead and shaped like an irregular ball with one or more pairs of flagella, which are whip-like structures that help them move through their environment (in this case, your dog’s intestines).
How does Coccidia spread?
Coccidia is a protozoan that is spread through contact.
There are many ways dogs can get it, including:
- From other dogs.
- From the environment, like soil or grasses.
- From humans, either directly or indirectly (for example, when people eat raw meat).
- Through insects that carry the parasite in their saliva and feces.
The most common way coccidia spreads is through environmental sources like water contaminated with animal feces and food that animals have eaten that has not been cooked properly.
However, direct transmission from animal to animal is also possible as well as unintentional transmission from human handlers who may neglect proper hygiene after handling infected material (e.g., cleaning kennels or petting infected animals).
Learn More:
What are the symptoms of Coccidia in dogs?
Coccidiosis is a highly contagious but treatable disease. The symptoms of Coccidiosis are as follows:
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Malaise (general sickness)
- Fever and/or chills, especially when the dog is dehydrated (due to diarrhea). Dogs with severe cases may be lethargic and have difficulty standing up or walking. Some dogs will have a fever that can reach 105°F to 106°F, which is very high for dogs! If your dog’s temperature is over 104°F for more than 24 hours without treatment you should take it to the vet immediately!
What Does Coccidia Dog Poop Look Like?
Coccidiosis usually causes bloody diarrhea, but this may not be apparent in puppies or kittens younger than 8 weeks old.
In older animals, there may be occasional streaks of blood in their stool.
Bloody diarrhea can also occur if an animal eats something sharp that punctures its intestines before passing through the digestive tract.
Infants with coccidiosis may have slightly loose stools, followed by bloody diarrhea after several days.
The stool in these cases often contains mucus and blood, with or without mucus plugs visible floating in it.
Conclusion
So—what does coccidia dog poop look like?
It’s pretty gross, so we wouldn’t recommend getting too close for a good look.
But basically, it’s runny and full of mucus, and it will probably be accompanied by a lot of diarrhea.
As you now know from the symptoms section above, your dog might also have blood in his stool as well as other signs that he needs immediate medical attention.
So if you see these things, please don’t hesitate to get your pup to the vet right away!