| The disease status of stray dogs admitted to an animal shelter in Gwangju, Korea |
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Bo Young Myung1, Yu Kyung Yi2, Il Youp Paik2, Gyung Min Chung1, Sun Lim2, Guk Hyun Suh2, Seong Soo Kang2, Sung Shik Shin2 |
1Gwangju Animal Shelter
2College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonnam National University
32College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonnam National University |
| 광주 동물보호소의 유기견 현황 및 질병 조사 |
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명보영1, 이유경2, 백일엽2, 정경민1, 임선2, 서국현2, 강성수2, 신성식2 |
1광주동물보호소
2전남대학교 수의과대학
3 |
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| Abstract |
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Animal shelters are potentially vulnerable to constant exposure to a variety of diseases for both animals and humans, because thousands of animals with unknown histories are being admitted to each shelter on a yearly basis in Korea. The control of disease spread, therefore, can be a major challenge to veterinarians in most shelters. This study investigated the health status of stray dogs admitted to the Gwangju Animal Shelter during the year of 2008, and analyzed types of disorders at the time of admission as well as newly acquired diseases while housed in the shelter. Canine heartworm disease was the most prevalent infection among stray dogs at the time of admission, while the respiratory disorder was the most common shelteracquired disease. The majority of dogs (93.5%) was either small or middle-sized breeds with Maltese (19.7%) and Shih Tzu (16.0%) being the most commonly found stray dogs. Out of 1,143 dogs admitted to the shelter, owners of 128 dogs (11.2%) visited the shelter and found their lost dogs, while 518 dogs (45.3%) were adopted to new families. Results of this study strongly indicate that stray dogs in Korea are exposed to a variety of diseases and the disease control by veterinarians is one of the most important aspects of the shelter management. |
| Key Words:
animal shelter management, Gwangju, Korea, stray dog diseases |
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