Gastro Intestinal Helminth Parasites in Stray and Pet Dogs of Kathmandu Valley, Nepal
Date
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Department of Zoology
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.