How do vets tell giardia from coccidiosis in my puppy's fecal test?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The intestinal worms that can be missed are some that are either difficult to find normally or the ones that are intermittently eliminated by the affected animal like Giardia and Coccidia, among others. Fecal samples can in fact be submitted to a reference laboratory for investigation. Good luck and have a great day!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. if they were using an antigen test then testing immediately after treatment can lead to false positive results. I would recommend following your veterinarians recommendations as different tests and different labs may have varying sensitivity.

Yes, they can have Giardia or coccidia without any signs of disease and it can be missed by the lab depending on the test. There are a few different possibilities with what you are describing though. It could be a parasitic infection, but could also be a bacterial infection, or colitis due to an adverse food reaction. Considering you are seeing blood, it's best to have your vet recheck her. They will help to narrow-down the cause of this and provide the necessary treatment. I hope that helps and Kitty gets better soon.

Hi there. Most of our fecal exams require specific tests that will separate our parasite eggs from the feces. Typically I do what's called a fecal float-as most people do. Under the microscope you would be looking for parasite eggs-but there are various forms and you have to know what you're looking for. If you look it up, there are diagrams on certain types of eggs online-but I always recommend a fecal be done by your doctor in case any are missed at home.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes, they should be maintained separately as this can be easily caught by another dog. Coccidia is transmitted via the fecal oral route so if there any surfaces that are contaminated with your pup's feces, this should be washed thoroughly and other dogs should be kept away from it. Good luck and have a good night!

Poor girl. Giardia can very well be the cause, but it can’t be confirmed without a Giardia test done through your vet. Other possible causes of dereased appetite, diarrhea and vomiting is parvovirus (if Khaleesi isn’t fully vaccinated) or a bacterial infection. I would definitely take her in to your vet at this point since it seems to be a continued issue that isn’t resolving with a conservative bland diet. The most concerning symptom right now is the fact that she doesn’t want to eat. I would recommend taking her in right away. If you can’t get her in until morning, you can try offering Khaleesi slightly warmed cans of baby food (meats and vegetables) to see if that will entice her to eat and give her some much needed nutrition. Best of luck with your puppy Khaleesi and o hope she is able to make a full and speedy recovery from her illness. Take care.

Yes, Vetco clinics can do fecal exams to check for common parasites like hookworms, roundworms, and whipworms. You can see a list of services offered here: https://www.vetcoclinics.com/services-and-clinics/vaccination-packages-and-prices/