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

Question

Can fecal testing distinguish between giardia and coccidiosis? How is it determined which a puppy has? Thank you.

Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS · Accepted Answer

Yes, a fecal test can be used to distinguish between giardia and coccidiosis. Giardia is a parasite, and it part of the life cycle of it is a cyst phase, which is the infectious stage of the parasite. When a puppy has giardia, there are cysts present in the feces, which the vet can identify using a fecal sample and a microscope. Coccidia is also a parasite, and it can also been seen in a fecal sample under a microscope. Instead of a cyst, there will be what's known as oocytes in the feces, which are different in appearance to the cysts of giardia. Simply by examining the feces of a puppy under the microscope, the vet can easily differential between giardia and coccidiosis in a puppy :-)

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

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