Abstract
BackgroundPets may be carriers of infectious agents including parasites. As part of a larger-scale study covering the whole of Europe, this study examines deworming measures reported by Spanish pet owners and identifies risk factors.MethodsAn online questionnaire was administered to cat and dog owners in Spain. The replies provided were used to obtain information about the petsʼ living conditions and to accordingly classify each pet into one of the four ESCCAP infection risk categories (A, B, C or D) for which different deworming frequencies are recommended. Questions were also asked about pet care and ownersʼ attitude toward their pets. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to correlate risk groups with deworming frequencies.ResultsCompleted questionnaires were returned by 500 cat owners and 501 dog owners. According to responses, 96.21% of dogs were assigned to risk category D (maximum risk), and only 1.2%, 2.2% and 0.4% to A, B and C, respectively. Almost all cats were assigned to the minimum risk category A (indoor cats, 62%) or maximum risk category D (outdoor cats, 32.8%); only 3.4% and 1.8% of cats were classified as risk B and C respectively. More dogs were allocated to the higher risk group compared to cats, which were more frequently kept indoors. Cats were reportedly dewormed less frequently than dogs (2.56 and 3.13 times per year respectively), consistent with their different infestation risk. Thus, pets in the lower risk group A were either adequately dewormed or treated more often than necessary. Only a small proportion of cats were not dewormed at all (n = 14). Alarmingly, almost all pets in risk groups B, C or D (representing 95% of dogs and 39% of cats) were dewormed less often than recommended.ConclusionsMore effective health education is required for the management of zoonotic endoparasite diseases under the umbrella of One Health targeted at owners, veterinarians, general practitioners, and health authorities. To align deworming frequency with infection risk, pet owners should be provided with clear, compelling instructions.
Highlights
Pets may be carriers of infectious agents including parasites
According to this survey based on Spanish European Scientific Counsel Companion Animal Parasites (ESCCAP) guidelines, a high percentage of the dog population examined (96%) was assigned to the highest-risk endoparasite infection group D, for which monthly deworming treatments are recommended by the ESCCAP
The remaining cats were outdoor cats assigned to the maximum risk category D (32.8%)
Summary
Pets may be carriers of infectious agents including parasites. As part of a larger-scale study covering the whole of Europe, this study examines deworming measures reported by Spanish pet owners and identifies risk factors. According to European data for 2018, the number of Spanish homes with at least one pet was 39.7% and there were 6,270,000 dogs [1] and 3,145,000 cats [2] living in. Helminths, including nematodes, cestodes and trematodes, commonly infect dogs and cats in Europe [4]. Toxocara spp. are among the parasites found most frequently in playground sand, and prevalences in soil samples from public parks in Spain have been estimated at 3.8–16.4% [12, 13]. These parasites may have a significant impact on public health, that of children who use playgrounds frequently as Toxocara spp. may cause visceral or ocular larva migrans in humans [14,15,16]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call