The Prevalence of Reproductive Diseases of Dogs in Zaria, North-Western Nigeria

Abstract

A total of eight hundred and two dogs were examined at a survey of Small Animal Clinic of the Veterinary Teaching 
Hospital, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, with structured questionnaire and visitations to households and cattle herds with 
dogs carried out for six months to determine the rate of occurrence of reproductive diseases of dogs within the study areas. 
382 of these 802 dogs examined had reproductive diseases, diagnosed by clinical and laboratory examinations. The disorders 
revealed were abortion (5.05%}, uterine prolapse (0.08%), conception failure (2.16%), stillbirth (0.41%), metritis (2.01%), 
vaginitis (0.98%), neonatal death (1.72%), weak pup/ small litter (2.94%), vaginal prolapse (0.08%), vaginal polyps (0.08%) 
and transmissible venereal tumour (0.44%) in female dogs. While in males were; preputial discharge (0.17%), posthitis 
(0.17%), cryptorchoditism (0.52%), orchitis (0.34%), Prostatic disease (0.34%), testicular degeneration (0.17%) infantile penis 
(0.17%), infertility (5.55%), inability to mate (0.34%), epididymitis (2.0%) and transmissible venereal tumour (0.34 %). The 
sex distributions were 0.44 % and 0.42% for female and male dogs respectively, with overall prevalence rate of 21.3% for 
these reproductive disorders. The occurrence of reproductive diseases causing infertility is considered a limiting factor to dog 
breeding with significant production losses to breeders. The economic and public health significant of those amongst these 
diseases with underlying infectious causes such as brucellosis between those in contact with infected dogs and the general 
public is also considered to be important.