Prevalencia de Giardia Duodenalis en un albergue canino, Caldas, Antioquia (2015)

Objective. To determine the prevalence of Giardia duodenalis in a dog shelter in Caldas, Antioquia, Colombia, and its implications on the health status of the dogs. Materials and methods. 88 dogs were subjected to a full stool test and, subsequently, their health status was assessed by means of a complete clinical examination and a full blood count. Patients were classified in terms of sex, approximate age, racial status, dental registration and physical condition in a 1-5 scale. Also, the stool was evaluated in terms of appearance, color, presence of mucus, fat, vegetable fibers, bacteria and leukocytes, with a standard crosses scale between 0 and 3. Results. The prevalence was 54.54%. 27 females and 21 males were positive, with a rate of infection of 50% and 61.76%, respectively. The average age was 5 years and 99% of them were half blood. There was no association between the presence of the parasite and variables such as fat, starch and vegetable fiber with p