When shelter workers see bloody diarrhea in a young, stressed, or immune-compromised dog or cat, coccidiosis is one of the first conditions that springs to mind. But not all bloody diarrhea is caused by the Coccidia organism, and not all pets with the parasite show blood in their stool.

That’s just one of the tips shared at the 2013 ASPCA/Maddie’s^® Shelter Medicine Conference by Dr. Danielle Boes, the Janet L. Swanson Intern for Maddie’s^® Shelter Medicine Program at Cornell University.

In her presentation, Dr. Boes reviewed best practices in managing, treating and preventing coccidiosis in your shelter or foster homes.

You can view the complete presentation on the Maddie’s Institute website, or by clicking on the image above.

Other resources mentioned by Dr. Boes:

• The Worms and Germs blog is coordinated by Drs. Scott Weese and Maureen Anderson of the Ontario Veterinary College’s Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses.
• Pets and Parasites, a pet health information site from the Companion Animal Parasite Council, maintains information sheets on coccidiosis in cats and dogs.
• Veterinary Partner hosts both a general info sheet on coccidiosis as well as one on a unique treatment discussed in the presentation, ponazuril.