Date of Graduation

Summer 2024

Degree

Master of Science in Agriculture

Department

School of Agricultural Science & Conservation

Committee Chair

Lacy Sukovaty

Abstract

Gastrointestinal parasites infect various mammalian species, including dogs, causing symptoms like diarrhea, lethargy, anemia, and possible death. Some gastrointestinal parasites possess zoonotic potential posing risk to dog owners, shelter workers, trainers, veterinary staff, groomers, and the public since dogs have access to public areas such as parks and stores. This study aims to understand the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites of dogs in southwest Missouri under different environmental conditions. Fecal samples were collected from the Polk County Humane Society, local dog trials, and dog owners. The Mini-FLOTAC fecal flotation method was employed to quantify the type and number of parasite ova present. An owner-completed questionnaire provided information about the dog. Parasitic prevalence was compared to demographic factors such as age, breed, gender/reproductive status and environmental risk factors such as season, ownership status, number of dogs on property, elimination flooring, and sleep flooring. Data was first analyzed using Python 3.11 (Python Software Foundation, 2023) to find significant relationships between each parasitic species and various risk factors using multivariate linear regression. ANOVA and Tukey’s test, ran in Minitab 19 (Penn State, State College, PA), further verified significant F-tests. The overall parasitic prevalence for the study was 28.1% with significant differences noted in age, breed, ownership status, gender/reproductive status, season, elimination flooring, and sleep flooring.

Keywords

fecal egg count, Mini-FLOTAC, risk factors, canine, zoonosis, Missouri

Subject Categories

Other Animal Sciences

Copyright

© Mattie Cobban

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Open Access

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