Abstract
To evaluate the prevalence of enteric pathogens in dogs of north-central Colorado, fecal samples were obtained from client-owned dogs presented to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at Colorado State University for evaluation of acute small-bowel, large-bowel, or mixed-bowel diarrhea (n=71) and from age-matched, client-owned, healthy dogs (n=59). Infectious agents potentially associated with gastrointestinal disease were detected in 34 of 130 (26.1%) fecal samples. Agents with zoonotic potential were detected in feces from 21 (16.2%) of 130 dogs and included Giardia spp. (5.4%), Cryptosporidium parvum (3.8%), Toxocara canis (3.1%), Salmonella spp. (2.3%), Ancylostoma caninum (0.8%), and Campylobacter jejuni (0.8%). Positive test results occurred in dogs with or without gastrointestinal signs of disease. Dogs, particularly those in homes of immunocompromised humans, should be evaluated for enteric zoonotic agents.
Publication types
-
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
-
Ancylostoma / isolation & purification
-
Animals
-
Campylobacter jejuni / isolation & purification
-
Case-Control Studies
-
Clostridium perfringens / isolation & purification
-
Colorado / epidemiology
-
Coronavirus / isolation & purification
-
Cryptosporidium parvum / isolation & purification
-
Dog Diseases / epidemiology*
-
Dog Diseases / etiology
-
Dog Diseases / microbiology
-
Dog Diseases / parasitology
-
Dogs
-
Feces / microbiology
-
Feces / parasitology
-
Giardia / isolation & purification
-
Intestinal Diseases / epidemiology
-
Intestinal Diseases / etiology
-
Intestinal Diseases / microbiology
-
Intestinal Diseases / parasitology
-
Intestinal Diseases / veterinary*
-
Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / epidemiology
-
Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / veterinary
-
Parvovirus / isolation & purification
-
Prevalence
-
Salmonella / isolation & purification
-
Toxocara canis / isolation & purification