A 12- year retrospective study on pattern and relative frequency of preventable canine diseases in Morogoro

A retrospective study was undertaken to determine the occurrence and relative frequency of canine cases admitted at the University Animal Hospital located at Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA). The study involved examination of canine cases recorded for the past 12 years starting from 2005 to 2016. A total of 2,288 canine cases were evaluated and grouped based on disease condition matching with the hospital records. The top five most frequently admitted cases were found to be worm infestation (19%), parvo viral diarrhoea (15%), wound (13%), canine distemper (7.7%) and bacterial diarrhoea (7.6%). Worm infestation showed a high and steady occurrence; parvo viral diarrhoea and canine distemper cases were on the increasing trend whereas rabies and canine transmissible venereal tumour were on the decreasing trend. Interestingly, majority of cases reported were those which can be prevented through adequate veterinary care such as vaccination, routine deworming, and sanitation. The findings in this study call for further follow-up studies and re-assessment of the current strategies used in disease control in order to have a comprehensive understanding in the existing gaps which limit progress in the control of some diseases identified in this study