Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Factors associated with gastrointestinal parasite infection in dogs in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- Journal:
- Preventive veterinary medicine
- Year:
- 2009
- Authors:
- Balassiano, Bianca Chiganer Cramer et al.
- Affiliation:
- Graduate Program in Veterinary Science · Brazil
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study looked at 500 dogs in Rio de Janeiro to find out how common gastrointestinal parasites, like worms and protozoans, were. The researchers found that about 46% of the dogs had these parasites, with protozoans being more common than worms. The most frequently found parasites were Cryptosporidium and Ancylostoma. Factors like the dog's age, access to soil, cleanliness of their environment, any illnesses, the owner's education level, and the specific veterinary clinic were linked to higher chances of infection. The study suggests that treating and preventing these infections is especially important for puppies, and adult dogs should have their stool checked for parasites before starting treatment, especially if they show any risk factors.
Abstract
Factors associated with parasitism by helminths and protozoans in 500 dogs presented to three veterinary clinics in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro from November 2003 to September 2004 were evaluated. Dogs were submitted to physical examination and owners were interviewed about the animal's management. One fecal sample from each dog was examined by centrifugal flotation and sedimentation methods followed by the safranin-methylene blue staining technique. Positive results for gastrointestinal parasites were detected in 46.4% of the examined samples. Infection with protozoans (29.6%) was more frequent than with helminths (23.2%). Cryptosporidium sp. (26.2%) and Ancylostoma sp. (15.2%) were the most frequent parasites. Logistic regression analysis showed that age (p<0.001), access to soil (p<0.001), hygiene of the environment (p=0.001), illness (p=0.007), owner's level of education (p<0.006) and veterinary clinic (p=0.043) were associated with gastrointestinal parasite infections in dogs. Treatment and control are especially important for puppies. Adult dogs should be submitted to fecal examination before treatment, placing special emphasis on those that present one or more factors associated with infection.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19577316/