Caring for Canines: A Survey of Dog Ownership and Parasite Control Practices in Ireland
Abstract
:Simple Summary
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Study Design
2.2. Data Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Questionnaire Response
3.2. Statistical Analysis
3.2.1. Urban and Rural Environments
3.2.2. Reported Previous Infection Status
3.2.3. Dog Obtained before or during the COVID Pandemic
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Question (n = Number of Responses) | Category | n (%) | Question (n = Number of Responses) | Category | n (%) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Owner gender (n = 662) | Female | 521 (79) | Home location (n = 662) | Rural | 210 (32) |
Male | 135 (20) | Sub-urban/Urban | 452 (68) | ||
Non-binary | 6 (1) | Do you have an enclosed garden? (n = 662) | No | 40 (6) | |
Number of dogs in household (n = 662) | 1 | 512 (77) | Yes | 662 (94) | |
2 | 120 (18) | Is your dog supervised when outdoors in an enclosed space? (n = 662) | No | 320 (48) | |
3 | 20 (3) | Yes | 342 (52) | ||
4 | 10 (2) | Do any other animals occupy the space? (n = 662) | No | 518 (78) | |
Owner age range (n = 662) | 18–24 | 239 (36) | Yes | 144 (22) | |
25–44 | 113 (17) | Young children in household (n = 662) | No | 543 (82) | |
35–44 | 120 (18) | Yes | 119 (18) | ||
45–54 | 115 (17) | ||||
55–64 | 54 (8) | ||||
65 + | 21 (3) | ||||
Do you wash your hands after touching your dog? (n = 662) | All the time | 130 (20) | |||
Sometimes | 442 (67) | ||||
Never | 90 (14) |
Question (n = Number of Responses) | Category | n (%) | Question (n = Number of Responses) | Category | n (%) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
How are faeces disposed of?(n = 832) | Bin | 587 (71) | Does your dog bring prey times home? | No | 787 (93) |
Compost | 126 (15) | Yes | 62 (7) | ||
Not disposed of | 119 (14) | Diet | Dog food only | 570 (67) | |
How often everyday do you walk your dog? (n = 849) | Once | 357 (42) | Diet includes leftovers | 235 (28) | |
Twice | 230 (27) | Diet includes raw meat | 44 (5) | ||
Three times | 64 (8) | Do any other animals occupy the space? (n = 662) | No | 518 (78) | |
Four times | 19 (2) | Yes | 144 (22) | ||
Not daily | 133 (16) | Where does your dog spend most of the day (n = 847) | Enclosed garden | 139 (16) | |
Is your dog allowed off the lead? (n = 849) | No | 335 (39) | Farm/Field | 38 (5) | |
Yes | 514 (61) | Outdoors (not enclosed) | 3 (0.4) | ||
Does your dog perform coprophagy? | Never | 530 (62) | Indoors | 667 (79) | |
Rarely | 247 (8) | Where did you get your dog? (n = 839) | Breeder | 194 (23) | |
Often | 72 (29) | Farm | 79 (9) | ||
Does your dog perform scent rolling? | Never | 222 (26) | Online ad | 40 (5) | |
Rarely | 371 (44) | Pet dog litter | 254 (30) | ||
Often | 256 (30) | Registered breeder | 28 (3) | ||
How frequently do you deworm your dog? (n = 794) | Every 4–12 months | 131 (15) | Rescue | 244 (29) | |
Every 4 months | 221 (26) | Is this your first dog? | No | 421 | |
Once or twice a year | 354 (42) | Yes | 259 | ||
Never | 88 (10) | Is your dog neutered? | No | 227 (27) | |
Yes | 622 (73) |
Variable | Category | Urbann (%) | Ruraln (%) | X2 | p Value |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dog joined household | Before pandemic | 365 (69) | 236 (76) | 5.07 | 0.024 |
During pandemic | 165 (31) | 74 (24) | |||
Is this your first dog? | No | 207 (39) | 54 (17) | 43.50 | <0.001 |
Yes | 327 (61) | 261 (83) | |||
How frequently do you bring your dog to the vet? | Monthly | 45 (8) | 12 (4) | 28.33 | <0.001 |
Every 3 months | 102 (19) | 37 (12) | |||
Every 4 months | 54 (10) | 27 (9) | |||
Every 5 months | 28 (5) | 13 (4) | |||
Twice a year | 152 (28) | 91 (29) | |||
Once a year | 133 (25) | 108 (34) | |||
Never | 20 (4) | 27 (9) | |||
Has your dog ever had worms? | No | 425 (80) | 230 (73) | 4.85 | 0.028 |
Yes | 109 (20) | 85 (27) | |||
How often do you deworm your dog? | Between 4 and 12 times a year | 92 (19) | 39 (13) | 12.55 | 0.006 |
Four times a year | 122 (25) | 99 (33) | |||
Once or twice a year | 216 (44) | 138 (46) | |||
Never | 64 (13) | 24 (8) | |||
Do you wash your hands after touching your dog? | All the time | 98 (18) | 73 (23) | 10.72 | 0.005 |
Sometimes | 344 (64) | 212 (67) | |||
Never | 92 (17) | 30 (10) | |||
How is excrement (faeces/poo) disposed of? | Bin | 437 (84) | 150 (48) | 166.06 | <0.001 |
Compost | 68 (68) | 58 (19) | |||
Not disposed of | 15 (3) | 104 (33) | |||
Does your dog perform scent rolling? | Never | 156 (29) | 66 (21) | 7.00 | 0.008 |
Sometimes | 378 (71) | 249 (79) | |||
Diet | Dog food only | 372 (70) | 198 (63) | 8.97 | 0.011 |
Diet includes leftovers | 130 (24) | 105 (33) | |||
Diet includes raw meat | 32 (6) | 12 (4) | |||
Neutered | No | 122 (23) | 105 (33) | 11.12 | 0.001 |
Yes | 412 (77) | 210 (67) |
Source | DF | Contribution | Chi-Square | p-Value |
---|---|---|---|---|
Regression | 15 | 24% | 167.02 | <0.0001 |
First dog | 1 | 4% | 20.75 | <0.0001 |
Vet visit frequency | 6 | 3% | 12.13 | 0.059 |
Past infection | 1 | 1% | 4.27 | 0.039 |
Deworming frequency | 3 | 2% | 8.89 | 0.031 |
Hand hygiene | 2 | 2% | 6.12 | 0.047 |
Faeces disposal | 2 | 12% | 87.07 | <0.0001 |
Error | 524 | 76% | ||
Total | 539 | 100% |
Variable | Category | Previously Infected with Worms | X2 | p Value | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No n (%) | Yes n (%) | ||||
Dog age | <1 year | 50 (8) | 10 (5) | 10.91 | 0.004 |
1–7 years | 353 (54) | 84 (44) | |||
8 + years | 248 (38) | 99 (51) | |||
Environment | Urban/Sub-urban | 425 (65) | 109 (56) | 4.85 | 0.028 |
Rural | 230 (35) | 85 (44) | |||
How often do you deworm your dog? | Between 4 and 12 times a year | 102 (17) | 29 (16) | 12.41 | 0.006 |
Four times a year | 160 (26) | 61 (34) | |||
Once or twice a year | 271 (44) | 83 (46) | |||
Never | 90 (13) | 8 (4) | |||
Does your dog perform scent rolling> | Never | 184 (28) | 38 (20) | 5.61 | 0.018 |
Sometimes | 471 (72) | 156 (80) | |||
Neutered | No | 163 (25) | 64 (33) | 5.02 | 0.025 |
Yes | 492 (75) | 130 (67) |
Source | DF | Contribution | Chi-Square | p-Value |
---|---|---|---|---|
Regression | 6 | 4% | 24.31 | <0.0001 |
Dog age | 2 | 2% | 12.56 | 0.002 |
Deworming frequency | 3 | 2% | 11.42 | 0.010 |
Neutered | 1 | 1% | 3.58 | 0.058 |
Error | 545 | 96% | ||
Total | 551 | 100% |
Variable | Category | Dog Joined Household | X2 | p-Value | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Before the Pandemic n (%) | During the Pandemic n (%) | ||||
Dog age (n = 853) | <1 year | 1 (0) | 59 (25) | 246.45 | <0.001 |
1–7 years | 274 (46) | 160 (67) | |||
8 + years | 322 (54) | 19 (8) | |||
Environment (n = 840) | Urban/Sub-urban | 365 (65) | 165 (69) | 5.07 | 0.024 |
Rural | 236 (39) | 74 (31) | |||
How frequently do you bring your dog to the vet? (n = 840) | Monthly | 32 (5) | 25 (10) | 45.99 | <0.001 |
Every 3 months | 74 (12) | 65 (27) | |||
Every 4 months | 54 (9) | 24 (10) | |||
Every 5 months | 30 (5) | 11 (5) | |||
Twice a year | 178 (30) | 61 (26) | |||
Once a year | 198 (33) | 41 (17) | |||
Never | 35 (6) | 12 (5) | |||
How often do you deworm your dog? (n = 785) | Between 4 and 12 times a year | 83 (14) | 47 (25) | 17.11 | 0.001 |
Four times a year | 161 (27) | 55 (29) | |||
Once or twice a year | 277 (46) | 75 (40) | |||
Never | 75 (13) | 12 (6) | |||
Do you wash your hands after touching your dog? (n = 840) | All the time | 135 (22) | 35 (15) | 8.43 | 0.015 |
Sometimes | 377 (63) | 174 (73) | |||
Never | 89 (15) | 30 (13) | |||
Does your dog perform scent rolling? (n = 840) | Never | 146 (24) | 76 (32) | 4.96 | 0.026 |
Sometimes | 455 (76) | 163 (68) | |||
Diet (n = 840) | Dog food only | 386 (64) | 176 (74) | 11.67 | 0.003 |
Diet includes leftovers | 187 (31) | 47 (20) | |||
Diet includes raw meat | 28 (5) | 16 (7) | |||
Neutered (n = 840) | No | 124 (21) | 102 (43) | 42.26 | <0.001 |
Yes | 477 (79) | 137 (57) |
Source | DF | Contribution | Chi-Square | p-Value |
---|---|---|---|---|
Regression | 6 | 7% | 41.71 | <0.0001 |
Deworming frequency | 3 | 2% | 13.39 | 0.004 |
Hand hygiene | 2 | 2% | 13.98 | 0.001 |
Neutered | 1 | 2% | 14.00 | <0.001 |
Error | 545 | 96% | ||
Total | 551 | 100% |
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Sherlock, C.; Holland, C.V.; Keegan, J.D. Caring for Canines: A Survey of Dog Ownership and Parasite Control Practices in Ireland. Vet. Sci. 2023, 10, 90. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci10020090
Sherlock C, Holland CV, Keegan JD. Caring for Canines: A Survey of Dog Ownership and Parasite Control Practices in Ireland. Veterinary Sciences. 2023; 10(2):90. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci10020090
Chicago/Turabian StyleSherlock, Caoimhe, Celia V. Holland, and Jason D. Keegan. 2023. "Caring for Canines: A Survey of Dog Ownership and Parasite Control Practices in Ireland" Veterinary Sciences 10, no. 2: 90. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci10020090