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Alternative treatment for Coccidiosis

18 15:47:20

Question
I have a 14 week old female corgi mix.  We got her a 8 weeks and took her in for an initial exam.  The fecal exam revealed that she had coccidiosis.  We were given medicine and sent home.  She did fine.  We took her in for her 12 week vaccines, etc.  and the fecal exam revealed that she had round worms and coccidiosis.  They gave her heart gaurd and sent us home with drontal (to be given in 2 weeks) and Albon in the pill form.  The next day she was very lethargic and her eyes were goopy.  She couldn't keep them open and we couldn't get her to wake up for any appreciable time.  The vet had us bring her back in.  They kept her all day and watched her.  I got her back that evening with a bottle of diphenhydromine and instructions to withhold the Albon and give her the anithistamine for the weekend.  She responded great and was quickly back to her old self.  On Monday I called to see what they wanted me to do.  They said to stop the antihistamine and come back in to pick up some Albon that is back in liquid form.  I gave it to her when i got home at 5:30pm.  She had not had any antihistamine that day.  By 7:30, the only way we could wake her up was to take her outside in the cold.  She slept for 16 hours straight and this morning has the goopy eyes again.  As soon as the vet was open this morning, I called again and she is in there right now having bloodwork, etc. done.  My question for you is this:  is there any alternative medication she can take to get rid of the parasites?  Also, the first time she took the medicine (when she was 8 weeks old) she had no noticeable reaction, but I have to say i am wondering if she was given the right medication at the time.  Because the Albon that we were given this time is yellow and creamy, but the one she got back then was very thin, watery and pink (kind of like children's tylenol looks).

Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you.

Answer
My guess is that she was initially give Ditrim (trimethoprin sulfa) liquid for the coccidia and the second yellow liquid was indeed Albon.  Coccidia is treated with a sulfa-type antibiotic and some dogs do not tolerate it very well and can have reactions.  I would not give Albon anymore since she has had multiple problems with it and I would be hestitant about trying the Ditrim again.  Make sure her chart is marked ALLERGY TO SULFA DRUGS!

I have used PANACUR already with some cases of coccidia.  It is not labeled to treat it, but it does work many times.  The dose is 50 mg/kg ONCE a day for 5 days.