BUGS ATTACKING YOUR INTESTINES

THERE’S nothing some dogs like more than splashing around in canals and rivers. But while they’re enjoying a swim, they could also be picking up the waterborne parasite cryptosporidium, which can cause the disease cyptosporidiosis.

Outside the body, the parasite takes the form of a microscopic capsule or cyst, j ust f i ve- thousandths of a millimetre long, protected by a tough outer shell. The cysts are immune to chlorine or disinfectants and can survive in water for months.

Once swallowed, the parasites burrow into the intestines, causing diarrhoea, cramps and fever.

If a dog is infected, billions of cysts pass through its system each day. These cysts can get on to fur, tongues