Enteropathogens identified in dogs entering a Florida animal shelter with normal feces or diarrhea.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the frequency of enteropathogens in dogs entering an animal shelter with normal feces or diarrhea.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study.


METHODS
100 dogs evaluated at an open-admission municipal animal shelter in Florida.


METHODS
Fecal samples were collected within 24 hours after admission from 50 dogs with normal feces and 50 dogs with diarrhea. Feces were tested by fecal flotation, antigen testing, PCR assay, and electron microscopy for selected enteropathogens.


RESULTS
13 enteropathogens were identified. Dogs with diarrhea were significantly more likely to be infected with ≥ 1 enteropathogens (96%) than were dogs with normal feces (78%). Only Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin A gene was significantly more common in dogs with diarrhea (64%) than in dogs with normal feces (40%). Other enteropathogens identified in dogs with and without diarrhea included hookworms (58% and 48%, respectively), Giardia spp (22% and 16%, respectively), canine enteric coronavirus (2% and 18%, respectively), whipworms (12% and 8%, respectively), Cryptosporidium spp (12% and 2%, respectively), ascarids (8% and 8%, respectively), Salmonella spp (2% and 6%, respectively), Cystoisospora spp (2% and 4%, respectively), canine distemper virus (8% and 0%, respectively), Dipylidium caninum (2% and 2%, respectively), canine parvovirus (2% and 2%, respectively), and rotavirus (2% and 0%, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Dogs entered the shelter with a variety of enteropathogens, many of which are pathogenic or zoonotic. Most infections were not associated with diarrhea or any specific dog characteristics, making it difficult to predict the risk of infection for individual animals. Guidelines for preventive measures and empirical treatments that are logistically and financially feasible for use in shelters should be developed for control of the most common and important enteropathogens.
Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
Tiffany
T
Tupler
Julie K
JK
Levy
Stephanie J
SJ
Sabshin
Sylvia J
SJ
Tucker
Ellis C
EC
Greiner
Christian M
CM
Leutenegger
D000818:Animals; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology*; D004285:Dogs; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D006799:Housing, Animal; D008297:Male; D010273:Parasitic Diseases, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*