Coccidia, or coccidiosis, in dogs is often treated with a drug called Albon. This protozal infection is the most prevalent and opportunistic intestinal disease in North America. Dogs in kennels are the most susceptible to acquiring this disease, so the use of Albon to help prevent it is recommended.
Coccidia Explained
The coccidia disease is spread through different types of protozoa parasites. Some dogs that acquire coccidia deal with the infection with great ease and little noticeable symptoms. Other dogs, however, become very ill and sometimes even die from coccidia because of the how quickly the parasites multiply within the intestines.
Coccidia affect the intestines so a dog may have watery diarrhea with traces of blood. In more severe cases, a dog's diarrhea will contain blood and mucous, and the dog will strain to relieve himself. Dehydration often accompanies diarrhea along with weight loss and a loss of appetite. Some of the parasites that can cause coccidia can even form small tumors in the intestinal walls. When coccidia affect a dog's nervous system, a dog may have convulsions and muscle tremors.
The sooner coccidia is treated, the better the prognosis for a dog. If left untreated, secondary infections such as pneumonia can develop along with permanent damage to the body.
Treating Coccidia in Dogs with Albon (Sulfadimethoxine)
The first method to treating most dog diseases is with prevention. With this in mind, a veterinarian may recommend that a pet owner give a dog Albon to help prevent coccidia if he will be in a kennel for a period of time. Sulfadimethoxine products can be purchased as a pill, injection, or oral suspension product.
Albon is a low-dose medication that's quickly absorbed into a dog's body and contains a long-lasting sulfonamide. The sulfadimethoxine within Albon is a bacteriostatic agent, which doesn't allow the parasites to create folic acid from from para-aminobenzoic acids. Unlike other animals, when a dog takes Albon, the sulfadimethoxine isn't acetylated and the medication goes through his body unchanged. To ensure coccidia treatment through the use of Albon is successful, a dog should be given this medicine soon after the infection is discovered so he can gain a high sulfonamide level in his body quickly. The infected dog needs to take Albon throughout the whole course of the infection and even for some time afterwards. The length of time which a dog takes Albon depends on the dog's response to the therapy. Typically, a dog will take this medication for about 5 days, until he is asymptomatic for at least 48 hours. However, it is advised that a pet owner administer all of the medication prescribed to a dog that is ill with coccidia so the infection doesn't return. Also, a dog that’s taking Albon for the treatment of coccidia should drink a lot of water so crystals don't form in his urine.
Coccidia is an opportunistic infection that can turn deadly in some dogs quickly. If a dog displays gastrointestinal symptoms, he should be taken to a veterinary clinic so he can be prescribed Albon as soon as possible if he's diagnosed with coccidia.