Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How long do dogs shed Neospora caninum oocysts after infection
By Gondim, L F P et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology·2005·University of Illinois, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Effects of host maturity and prior exposure history on the production of Neospora caninum oocysts by dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs that had previously shed Neospora caninum oocysts (a type of parasite) were fed infected beef to see if they would shed oocysts again. Two out of three dogs that were re-exposed after 18-20 months did shed oocysts, while two dogs re-exposed after just 8 months did not. The study also found that puppies shed a lot more oocysts than adult dogs when first infected, suggesting that younger dogs are more likely to produce these parasites. This information can help pet owners understand the risk of parasite shedding in their dogs, especially based on age and previous infections.
People also search for: dog parasite shedding · Neospora caninum in dogs · puppy oocyst production · dog infection risk factors
Abstract
To investigate whether dogs shed Neospora caninum oocysts more than once, five dogs with a previous history of shedding oocysts were fed infected bovine tissues. Two of three dogs shed oocysts when they were re-exposed 18-20 months after the first challenge; two other dogs re-exposed earlier, only 8 months after the primary exposure, did not produce oocysts. These results suggest that dogs may become refractory to shedding N. caninum oocysts for a period approximately between 8 and 18 months after a primary infection; however, this possibility requires statistical validation by testing of more dogs. The development of a high antibody titer did not ensure that a dog would completely resist shedding oocysts after consuming an infected meal. Oocyst production was also compared between puppies and adult dogs with primary infections. Twelve puppies (three from the present study and nine from a previous study) shed significantly more oocysts (mean: 166,400) compared with five adult dogs following primary exposure (mean: 2900), indicating that a dog's age can influence N. caninum oocyst production (P=0.02).
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16029931/