A Comparative Survey of Endoparasite Prevalence in Owned and Shelter Dogs in SW Michigan

A Comparative Survey of Endoparasite Prevalence in Owned and Shelter Dogs in SW Michigan

"Domestic dogs serve as potential pathogen reservoirs, and their presence in homes increases the risk of exposure for their human caretakers. Increasing trends in adopting shelter animals may put people at higher risk of parasite exposure. I examined differences in endoparasite communities, comparing dogs that were owned and dogs that were living in a shelter. Parasite communities were assessed using IDEXX antibody blood tests, fecal flotation, and historical data collected from animal shelters and a veterinary hospital in Kalamazoo County, MI. There was a significantly higher prevalence of parasites in shelter animals (67.74%) when compared to owned dogs (6.68%). Shelter dogs that were strays had much higher parasite prevalence (93.33%) than dogs that were released by owners (20%). Owned dogs harbored more diversity in parasite species than shelter dogs, however mean intensity of infection was higher in shelter animals. The five most prevalent parasites in both groups included Toxocara sp., Ancylostoma sp., Trichuris sp., Coccidia sp., and Dirofilaria immitis. Although these parasites were common in both groups, shelter and owned animals showed slightly different endoparasite community composition. The results of this study indicate markedly higher parasite infection in shelter dogs in the number of infections, parasite species richness within an individual, and intensity of infection. Therefore, dogs newly adopted from shelters should receive prompt veterinary care to assess and treat parasitic infections."

Griffioen, John

Biology

Lake Superior State University

2014

Dr. Jason Garvon

Copyright John Griffioen: All rights reserved. LSSU use only.

application/pdf

English

text.monograph

S20220520010