Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Intestinal parasites and bacteria found in dogs at urban and rural
By Kolp, Matthew et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports·2025·Richard A. Gillespie College of Veterinary Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Evidence of canine intestinal parasites and associated fecal bacteria among urban and rural dog parks in central Appalachia U.S.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that nearly 27% of fecal samples from dog parks in Central Appalachia showed signs of intestinal parasites, with a higher rate in rural parks compared to urban ones. The most common parasite detected was hookworm, which was present in about 19% of the samples. This suggests that dogs visiting these parks may be at risk of gastrointestinal issues due to these parasites. To protect your dog, it's important to keep up with regular deworming treatments and be aware of the potential for parasite exposure in communal areas.
People also search for: dog parks parasites · hookworm in dogs · deworming treatment for dogs
Abstract
Public dog parks provide opportunities for exercise and socialization, benefiting both dogs and their owners. However, dog parks can serve as reservoirs for gastrointestinal (GI) parasitic helminths, posing risks to canine and public health. This study investigated the presence of three common GI parasites, hookworm (Ancylostoma spp.), roundworm (Toxocara canis), and whipworm (Trichuris vulpis), in abandoned fecal samples from nine dog parks in Central Appalachia, comparing rural and urban environments. We also examined the relationship between parasite presence and fecal bacterial community composition using 16S rRNA sequencing. A total of 346 fecal samples were collected during 43 visits to parks in Tennessee and Kentucky. Centrifugal flotation (1.2 spg) revealed evidence of parasitic infection in 26.9 % of samples, with a higher percentage found in samples from rural parks (40.7 % of 135 samples) compared to urban parks (18.0 % of 211 samples; p < 0.0001). Hookworm was the most common parasite identified (18.8 %), with greater numbers of eggs in rural parks. Mixed infections were observed in 6.9 % of samples and found more often in rural dog parks. 16S rRNA sequencing indicated that bacterial diversity and community composition were influenced by park location and parasite presence. Rural parks exhibited more diverse bacterial communities and higher proportions of Actinomycetota, while urban parks showed higher levels of Fusobacteriota. Parasite-positive samples had greater bacterial diversity and were associated with specific taxa, such as Clostridia, linked to GI issues. Our findings highlight the increased potential of GI parasitic helminth contamination in rural dog parks and highlight the potential for parasites to alter canine gut microbiomes. These results emphasize the need for public health education on routine anthelmintic treatments to reduce zoonotic risks. The study further underscores the importance of a One Health approach to managing parasite transmission in communal canine spaces. Future work should explore the mechanisms underlying GI parasite-microbiome interactions and extend these findings to other geographic regions.
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 on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40518243/