Abstract / Summary
Parasitic infections in dogs, especially those used for hunting, pose significant public health and veterinary concerns. This study investigated the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in hunting dogs across various locations in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. A total of 116 hunting dogs were enrolled for this study, comprising 62 (53.4%) males and 54 (46.6%) females, yielding a sex ratio of 1.1:1. The dogs were sampled from different locations between May and July, 2025: Oja Gbooro (24.2%), Shao (21.6%), Tanke (19.8%), Adangba (17.2%), Fate and Oke-odo (17.2%). For detecting ova and oocysts, faecal samples were taken directly from the rectum and examined using the simple flotation and sedimentation methods. The overall prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in hunting dogs sampled was 27.6% (32/116). Out of 116 animals sampled, 32 animals had one or more gastrointestinal parasite infectios. The predominant gastrointestinal parasites identified in this study were Ancyclostoma spp, Taenia spp and Isospora spp, with overall prevalence of (23/116) 19.8%, (5/116) 4.3%, and (3/116) 2.6% respectively. Age distribution showed that 11.2% were under one year, 18.1% were aged 1–2 years, 15.5% were above two years, while 55.2% had unknown ages. Deworming history revealed that 81.0% had not been dewormed, 8.6% had been dewormed three weeks prior, and 10.3% five weeks prior to sampling. The high prevalence of parasitic infections observed in this study underscores the need for regular parasitic control. Effective surveillance and targeted interventions are recommended to minimize the transmission risk to other animals and humans.