Strongyloides infection was detected in six purebred dogs kept indoors, one papillon (No.1), three Yorkshire terriers (Nos. 2, 3, 5), one Miniature dachshund (No.4), and one Maltese dog (No.6). It caused diarrhea and delay in growth. Rhabditiform larvae were detected in the feces of these dogs and also parasitic females in the dog No.2. Fecal cultivation by Harada and Mori's method revealed filariform larvae and rhabditiform females and males.
Two of three dogs inoculated with filariform larvae originated from dog No.5 were successfully infected. They passed rhabditiform larvae in the feces after a prepatent period of 14 and 20 days, respectively. Parasitic females obtained from the dogs by autopsy possessed very slender body (2.0-2.5 mm long and about 0.04 mm wide), filariform esophagus, straight running ovary, gradually tapering tail and blunt tail end.
All the Strongyloides nematodes obtained from the six purebred dogs were identified as
S. stercoralis by the morphology of parasitic females and other stages of worms and by the rhabditiform larvae passed in the feces.
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