Parasitological diagnosis of fecal samples from domestic dogs from the municipality of Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

ABSTRACT From 2015 to 2021 the prevalence of parasites was evaluated in fecal samples of dogs from the municipality of Niterói, RJ. The samples were examined at the Laboratory of Diagnostic Support in Parasitic Diseases (LADDP) of the Veterinary School at the Federal Fluminense University (UFF), using centrifugal flotation, sedimentation and mini-FLOTAC techniques. Of the 1,037 samples examined, 30.6% (318/1,037) showed positive results for some parasitic infections, of which 80.5% (256/318) were positive for only one species of parasite and 19.5% (62/318) for multiple infections. Parasitism by Ancylostoma caninum was the most prevalent, with 39% (124/318), followed by Giardia sp., 16% (51/318); Toxocara canis, 14.5% (46/318); Trichuris vulpis, 8.5% (27/318); Cystoisospora canis, 8.5% (27/318); Dipylidium caninum, 7.9% (25/318); and Cryptosporidium sp., 5.6% (18/318). The parasitological diagnosis of dogs in urban areas is the best choice to evaluate the efficacy of control measures adopted for parasitic infections, including those with zoonotic importance.