Gastrointestinal parasitic infections in dogs in Puducherry

The prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) parasitic infections in stray and pet dogs was studied in Puducherry. A total of 163 faecal samples of stray dogs was screened and 107 (65.64%) revealed infection of GI parasites viz., Ancylostoma spp. (51.53%), Toxocara spp. (16.56%), Strongyloides spp. (4.29%), Uncinaria spp. (3.06%), Isospora spp. (2.45%), Trichuris spp. (1.23%) and Giardia sp. (0.61%). Of 382 samples from pet dogs, 89 (23.30%) were positive for ova of Toxocara spp. (4.97%) Ancylostoma spp. (19.37%) and occysts of Isospora spp. (1.30%). In pet dogs, the hookworm infections were common in the age group of 2 months to 6 years (26.48%) and Toxocara sp. ova were prevalent in the age group of 1 month to 2½ years irrespective of breeds of dogs. Toxocara sp. ova was most common in Doberman dogs (5.88%). In pet dogs highest infection of gastrointestinal parasites was noticed in December (44.75%) and it was lowest in month of April (7.4%). Ancylostoma sp. infection was very common in Mongrel dogs.