Coccidial infection in German shepherd dog pups in a breeding unit

A commercial dog breeding unit experienced problems with acute diarrhoea, often haemorrhagic, in young German Shepherd Dog litters. No aetiologic diagnosis had been made. In order to determine whether coccidial infections were implicated, a survey was conducted to ascertain shedding of oocysts by dams, acquisition of coccidial infection by neonatal pups and to determine whether bouts of diarrhoea were associated with peak oocyst production. Oocysts of Isospora canis and I. burrowsi/I. ohioenis were recovered from 26.0% of faecal specimens from bitches and from 51.7% of similar specimens from litters. No association between shedding of oocysts by bitches and their litters could be demonstrated, nor was there consistent association between bouts of diarrhoea and peaks of oocyst shedding.