Helminth infections of British dogs: Prevalence in racing greyhounds

Abstract

Examination of faeces from 572 dogs, blood samples from 270 animals, and post mortem material from 27 dogs, confirmed the view that racing greyhounds in the British Isles are heavily infected with a range of helminth parasites. Dipylidium caninum and Uncinaria stenocephala were most common. Also frequently encountered were: Toxocara canis, Toxascaris leonina and Trichuris vulpis. One dog harboured Angiostrongylus vasorum. Five of the 27 animals examined at post mortem were infected with Filaroides osleri and 5.6% of the blood samples contained unidentified microfilariae, possibly of an unknown Dipetalonema species. The infections were not evenly distributed throughout the population; variations were associated with the sex and age of the host, and the season of the year. The prevalence of ascarid and hookworm infections declined with the increasing age of the host, and more male dogs harboured patent T. canis infections than females. Seasonal variations during the 13 months of the study were noted for T. leonina and U. stenocephala; the faecal egg output peaked during the winter months, with lower values recorded in the spring and early summer.