PRESENCE OF CAMPYLOBACTER SPP, CLOSTRIDIU M-DIFFICILE, CLOSTRIDIUM-PERFRINGENS AND SALMONELLA IN SOME LITTERS AND IN A KENNEL POPULATION OFADULT DOGS

In order to ascertain the importance of Campylobacter spp., C.difficil e, C.perfringes and Salmonella as agents of bacterial gastroenteritis in dogs, two groups of animals were studied prospectively. The first g roup consisted of 77 puppies in 14 litters, with fecal cultures perfor med weekly for 10 weeks, starting at birth. The second group consisted of a kennel population with every dog cultured at entry, and at two-m onth intervals: thereafter. Incidence of Campylobacter: spp. was 32 an d 31 per 100 dog-month of observation for healthy pups and healthy dog s respectively, 46 and 0 for C.difficile, 51 and 36 for C.perfringens and 6,5 and 1,3 for Salmonella. The incidence of Campylobacter spp. in pups peaked at 8 weeks of age. This incidence (43 per 100 dog-months) was higher, in pups:reared together with older:dogs than in pups rear ed without contact: to other dogs (0 per:100 dog-months). Toxigenic st rains of C.difficile were found in 61,5% of the healthy neonate dogs. None of the cases of non-watery and non-inflammatory diarrhea we obser ved was associated with ang of the pathogens: studied. Furthermore new ly acquired colonization with Campylobacter spp. or Salmonella was nev er associated with episods of diarrhea. No conclusions could be drawn about the role Of:bacterial pathogens for causation of watery or infla mmatory diarrhea wich were not observed in our study.