Enteropathogens in pups from pet shops and breeding facilities

Abstract

Puppies obtained from a pet shop or breeding facility have a high risk of gastrointestinal disease. Furthermore, infectious agents may be present independently of faecal or clinical score. The identification of possible pathogenic E. coli strains suggests that their role in diarrhoea warrant further investigation.

Enteropathogen infections in canine puppies: (Co-)occurrence, clinical relevance and risk factors

“…Logistic regression was also used to sort out which pathogens were associated with acute diarrhoea and/or severe clinical signs. For these pathogens logistic regression was used to assess the association with previously published risk factors for gastrointestinal infections in dogs, namely age, breed (purebred vs. mixed breed), gender, vaccination history (fully vaccinated vs. partially or not vaccinated), sampling season (Summer: June-August; Autumn: September-November; Winter: December-February; Spring: March-May), and whether the puppy originated from a highvolume dog breeder (Houston et al, 1996;Stavisky et al, 2011;Ling et al, 2012;Saevik et al, 2012;Dupont et al, 2013;Bagshaw et al, 2014;Grellet et al, 2014). Age was categorized in 2 groups: younger than 3 months and older than 3 months, as 3 months is the age at which maternal immunity is expected to have diminished to an insignificant level for the majority of puppies and at which the final puppy vaccines generally are administered in the Netherlands (Davis-Wurzler, 2014).…”

“…and Cystoisospora spp. are parasitic enteropathogens and are often present in puppies, their claimed role as a causative agent however varies per study (Claerebout et al, 2009;Dupont et al, 2013;Grellet et al, 2014). Clostridium difficile is associated with severe diarrhoea in humans and animals but little is known about its pathogenicity in canine puppies (Koene et al, 2012;Wetterwik et al, 2013).…”

“…The role of Cyniclomyces guttulatus in causing chronic diarrhoea in dogs was indecisive (Mandigers et al, 2014). Several studies have reported the simultaneous presence of multiple canine enteropathogens in dogs with diarrhoea, but studies targeting specifically puppies are rare, usually target puppies in kennels and/or are limited with respect to the number of pathogens that was screened for (Cave et al, 2002;Sokolow et al, 2005;Yesilbag et al, 2007;Stavisky et al, 2011;Tupler et al, 2012;Dupont et al, 2013;Gizzi et al, 2014). The clinical relevance of the co-occurrence of multiple pathogens in faecal samples of dogs remains unclear, as this may simply mirror common exposure, but pathogens can also interact with one another in determining or aggravating disease.…”

“…It is therefore important to screen for multiple pathogens in faeces of both healthy and diarrhoeic puppies to gain more insight into the role co-infections might play. Putative risk factors for acute infectious diarrhoea in puppies include breed, gender, vaccination history, age, season, breeder-origin, and/or stay in kennel (Houston et al, 1996;Stavisky et al, 2011;Ling et al, 2012;Saevik et al, 2012;Dupont et al, 2013;Bagshaw et al, 2014;Grellet et al, 2014). However these risk factors for infection with specific enteropathogens have mainly been reported in dogs housed in shelters or breeding facilities.…”

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

“…For many of these pathogens, dogs in group settings have an elevated risk of infection, compared with dogs in other settings. 76,77 Furthermore, the prevalence of some enteric pathogens, notably endoparasites, varies geographically, in part because of differences in temperature and other environmental conditions important for pathogen survival. [78][79][80] Preventive products for individual dogs such as core vaccines (eg, CDV and CPV-2) and anthelmintics are widely available and are highly effective in preventing many enteric infectious diseases.…”