Gastro Intestinal Helminth Parasites in Stray and Pet Dogs of Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

Abstract

To ascertain the prevalence of gastrointestinal helminth parasites of dogs in the Kathmandu valley from March to August 2021, a cross-sectional study was carried out. For the investigation, a total of 120 fecal samples were collected: 60 from stray dogs and 60 from pet dogs. Out of 60 stray dog samples, 20 were obtained from the ground right after stray dogs defecated on it throughout the morning, and the remaining 40 samples were collected in collaboration with the rescue team of Sneha's Dog Care Center in Lalitpur. In contrast, 20 samples of pet dogs were taken from the animals brought to the central referral veterinary hospital in Tripureswor, Kathmandu, 20 from the city veterinary hospital pvt.Ltd. Satdobato, Lalitpur, and the remaining 20 samples were obtained through personal contact with dog owners or visits to their homes. The samples were subjected to direct, sedimentation, and floatation microscopy examinations. The central veterinary hospital in Tripureswor, Kathmandu, is where the laboratory work was completed. According to the study, the total prevalence of gastrointestinal helminth parasites is 27.5%, with stray dogs showing a higher prevalence (41.33%) than pet dogs (13.33%). Ancylostoma sp. (39.39%) showed the highest prevalence among the five helminth parasites that were identified in this study, followed by Taenia sp. (24.24%), Ascaris sp. (15.15%), Toxocara sp. (12.12%), and Trichostrongylus sp. (9.09%). However, only three helminth parasites were discovered in canine companions, with Ancylostoma sp. (6.66%) having a greater infection rate than Ascaris sp. (3.33%) and Taenia sp. (1.66%). In both stray and pet dogs, the age-based prevalence revealed higher frequency in dogs older than five years old than adult dogs and puppies. Male dogs (24.63%) had a lower overall sex prevalence than female dogs (31.37%). However, it was discovered that pet dogs, both male and female, were each afflicted. Dogs were more likely to have helminth parasites in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur districts than other areas. In this study, local breed stray dogs had higher helminth parasite infection rates than mixed breed dogs. In this investigation, it appears that helminth parasites are not present in the German shepherd and German retriever breeds.