Prevalence of Haemoprotozoan Parasites of Dogs in Umuahia metropolis, Abia state: A Retrospective Study

This retrospective study investigated the prevalence of haemoprotozoan parasites of dogs in Umuahia, Southern Nigeria. The study population included sick dogs presented to the Abia State Veterinary Clinic, Umuahia from 2015 to 2022. A total of 560 case files of dogs were reviewed and data were presented using descriptive statistics and analysed using Chi square to determine association of various factors with prevalence of haemoprotozoan parasite. The overall prevalence of haemoprotozoan parasite in surveyed dogs was 118 (21.10%). The young dogs had a higher prevalence of 79 (22.40%) compared to the adult 39 (18.80%). The female dogs had a higher prevalence of 77 (25.50%) than male 41 (15.90%). The local breed had a higher prevalence of 28.80% than the exotic breeds 18.50%. There was a significant association (P < 0.05) between haemoparasitism and sex, as well as breed of dogs surveyed. Babesia spp was the most common haemoprotozoan parasite, representing 63 (53.49%) while Anaplasma was the least abundant 3 (2.54%). Haemoprotozoan parasite spp was found to be more prevalent in young dogs than adult dogs. It was concluded that haemoparasites are prevalent among sick dogs presented at the Abia State veterinary clinic, Umuahia, and there is need to raise awareness on the prevention and control of haemoprotozoan parasite infections in dogs.