Risk factors of weaning diarrhea in puppies housed in breeding kennels

Abstract

Diarrhea represents one of the most frequent disorders in dogs. In puppies, degradation of feces quality is associated with a reduced daily weight gain and an increased risk of death. Prevention of diarrhea in puppies requires a global approach encompassing enteropathogens, environment and management practices especially when housed in groups. The purpose of this study was to determine prevalence of enteropathogens in puppies in breeding kennels and to identify risk factors of diarrhea. Two hundred and sixty six puppies (between 5 and 14 weeks of age) from 29 French breeding kennels were included. For each kennel, data about environment, management of the kennel and puppies' characteristics (age, sex and breed) were collected. For each puppy, fecal consistency and fecal excretion of enteropathogens (viruses and parasites) was evaluated. At least one enteropathogen was identified in 77.1% of puppies and 24.8% of puppies presented abnormal feces. The main risk factor of weaning diarrhea was fecal excretion of canine parvovirus type 2 (odds ratio=5; confidence interval 95%: 1.7-14.7). A targeted sanitary and medical prophylaxis against canine parvovirus type 2 should be implemented to decrease risk of weaning diarrhea.

Prevalence and genetic diversity of the intestinal parasites Blastocystis sp. and Cryptosporidium spp. in household dogs in France and evaluation of zoonotic transmission risk

“…in our survey, and the infection with this parasite was significantly correlated with the age of the dogs (P = 0.036). All of this data confirms that the prevalence of canine cryptosporidiosis is dependent on host age, in agreement with previous studies (Grellet et al, 2014;Lucio-Forster et al, 2010;Smith et al, 2014). At the molecular level, the three Cryptosporidium spp.…”

“…This prevalence was close to that reported in others canine populations worldwide (Overgaauw et al, 2009;Jian et al, 2014). On the other hand, it was much lower than the 25.9% prevalence recently observed in a study conducted in puppies housed in breeding kennels in France (Grellet et al, 2014). Such a difference between these two French studies might be explained by significant variations in the age of the animals and population density, as overcrowding in kennels naturally promotes parasite transmission.…”

“…To our knowledge, only one recent survey based on light microscopy identification studied the prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. solely in puppies (Grellet et al, 2014), and no data is available regarding the prevalence of Blastocystis sp. and the distribution of STs in dogs.…”

Risk reduction and management strategies to prevent transmission of infectious disease among dogs at dog shows, sporting events, and other canine group settings

“…For example, CPV-2 is an important cause of severe (and potentially fatal) diarrhea in unvaccinated (or inadequately vaccinated) dogs, 50,51 and given that this virus is an environmentally tolerant pathogen spread through the fecal-oral route, it is of high concern in canine group settings. 39 Consequently, vaccination guidelines 17,24 …”

“…When inadequately cleaned and disinfected, such objects have been associated with infectious disease outbreaks. 9,46,51,87,88 Existing guidance is available to direct appropriate cleaning and disinfection for fomites and the environment. 89,90 Recommendation: A cleaning and disinfection program should be developed and implemented for indoor and outdoor exercise, grooming, and housing areas.…”