Coccidia are tiny single-celled parasites that live in the wall of your dog's intestine. They are found more often in puppies, but they can also infect older dogs and cats. Dogs become infected by swallowing soil that contains coccidia or other substances in the environment that may contain dog feces.

Do all dogs have coccidia?

These tiny-celled parasites live in the wall of the intestine. Coccidia is most common in puppies but can also infect adult dogs as well as cats.

Can humans catch coccidia from dogs?

The most common coccidia found in dogs do not have any affect on humans. However, less common types of coccidia are potentially infectious to humans. One parasite, called Cryptosporidium, may be carried by dogs or cats and may be transmitted to people.