Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Intestinal parasites found in dog park poop in central Oklahoma
By Duncan, Kathryn T et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports·2020·Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Prevalence of intestinal parasites in fecal samples and estimation of parasite contamination from dog parks in central Oklahoma.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that nearly a quarter of fecal samples from dogs at parks in central Oklahoma contained intestinal parasites. Out of 359 samples tested, 24% showed signs of parasites like hookworms and whipworms, which can pose health risks to both dogs and humans. Interestingly, dogs that were on heartworm preventive medication had fewer intestinal parasites compared to those that weren't. This suggests that keeping your dog on heartworm prevention may help reduce the risk of these parasites. If you're concerned about your dog's health after visiting a dog park, it might be a good idea to discuss parasite prevention with your vet.
People also search for: dog park parasites · dog intestinal worms treatment · heartworm prevention for dogs
Abstract
Domestic dogs commonly harbor intestinal parasites in Oklahoma and throughout the world. We tested fecal samples from dog parks to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites and reported use of parasite control in park-attending dogs and assess potential health risks posed by fecal contamination of public dog parks in this region. Fecal samples (n = 359) were collected from five public access dog parks in central Oklahoma from February to July 2019. Fecal samples were collected immediately after defecation with a corresponding canine lifestyle questionnaire completed by the owner (n = 134) or collected from the ground from unknown animals to assess potential parasitic contamination of the parks (n = 225). Sugar centrifugal flotation and saline sedimentation were performed on all samples for parasite diagnosis. Group comparisons were conducted using the Χtest and 95% binominal confidence intervals were calculated for each proportion. One or more parasites were identified in 24.0% (86/359) of samples, including 38/134 (28.4%) fresh samples and 48/225 (21.3%) environmental samples; 6.1% were co-infected. Parasites detected included Ancylostoma spp. (14.5%), Trichuris vulpis (6.7%), Cystoisospora spp. (3.6%), Sarcocystis spp. (1.7%), and Giardia duodenalis (1.4%). A small number of samples had Cryptosporidium spp., Toxocara canis, Alaria sp., Taeniidae eggs, or Heterobilharzia americana. Owners reported 73.1% (98/134) of dogs were maintained on heartworm preventive. Intestinal nematodes, but not all parasites, were significantly less commonly detected in dogs reportedly on heartworm preventive (11.2%) compared to dogs not on heartworm preventive (27.8%; P = .0194). These data suggest dogs and people visiting dog parks are at risk of parasite exposure and that an owner-reported history of heartworm preventive use is associated with decreased prevalence of intestinal nematodes.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32057390/