Prevalence of Gastrointestinal Parasites in Cats and Dogs on Intake to Northern Mississippi Shelters

Animal shelters frequently administer multiple anthelminthic therapies for gastrointestinal parasites to animals on intake, but superfluous use of anthelmintics may contribute to resistance over time. Literature results for gastrointestinal parasite prevalence vary by region. This study’s objective was to evaluate parasite prevalence in animals upon intake to Mississippi shelters and determine risk factors for parasitism. Fecal samples were obtained from cats and dogs and examined via passive floatation. Presence or absence of common parasite eggs was found along with descriptive characteristics of the animal. Multivariable, multilevel logistic regression (SAS9.4) was performed to test for associations (alpha = 0.05). Prevalence for overall parasitism in cats and dogs was 48% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 38.9%–57.2%) and 74% (95% CI: 69.6%–77.3%), respectively. Age and intake type were found to have significant associations with parasitism in cats (P = 0.027, P = 0.015). Age and sex were observed to have significant associations with parasitism in dogs (P = 0.035, P ≤ 0.0001). These findings suggest implications for targeted empirical anthelmintic therapy.