Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
COVID-19 clinic closures and parasite detection in dogs
By Yee, Heather et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports·2021·Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Risk factors and impact of COVID-19-related clinic closures on the detection of gastrointestinal parasites in dogs, a cross-sectional study.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that over 20% of dog fecal samples tested positive for gastrointestinal (GI) parasites, with hookworms and Giardia being the most common. The research highlighted that factors like the dog's age, breed, and whether they were on parasite preventatives influenced the likelihood of infection. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a significant drop in the number of fecal tests performed, which could lead to missed diagnoses. Veterinarians recommend annual fecal exams, especially for high-risk dogs, to catch these infections early and ensure proper treatment.
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Abstract
Infections with endoparasites, especially gastrointestinal helminths, are a common finding in client-owned dogs. The Community Practice section at the Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center (OSU-VMC) follows Companion Animal Parasite Council, American Animal Hospital Association, and American Veterinary Medical Association guidelines for parasitology by recommending annual fecal analyses for dogs and prescribing year-round, broad-spectrum parasite preventatives. There is increasing interest in determining if parasite occurrence is changing in client-owned dogs. Therefore, a retrospective study was designed to examine risk factors associated with the detection of parasites in samples submitted to the OSU-VMC Clinical Veterinary Parasitology Diagnostic Laboratory. Of the 1198 canine fecal samples, 254 (21.2%) of these samples had a positive fecal analysis for gastrointestinal (GI) parasites. The age of the dog, time of year, reproductive status, purpose of fecal examination, GI signs, and type of parasite preventatives were assessed as potential risk factors for GI parasite infection in dogs. To determine if Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated hospital restrictions impacted the number of fecal examinations performed, data from January to December 2020, was compared to the same period in 2019. There was nearly a 50% reduction in canine fecal samples submitted to the OSU-VMC Clinical Veterinary Parasitology Diagnostic Laboratory in March 2020 compared to March 2019. At least one canine GI parasite was found in over 20% of all 1198 canine fecal samples (21.2%, 254/1198). The most commonly detected canine GI parasite in all the fecal samples was hookworm at 9.6% (115/1198), followed by Giardia sp. at 7.6% (91/1198). Age, use of parasite preventatives, breed, and reproductive status were found to be associated with parasite occurrence in the dog samples. Identifying such risk factors in dogs will guide veterinarians to advise annual fecal examinations more strongly to clients with high-risk dogs or when routine health visits are postponed for an extended period.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34879959/