The excretion of campylobacter, salmonellae and Giardia lamblia in the faeces of stray dogs.

Faecal samples were collected from impounded stray dogs, classified as under or over six months of age, on their arrival in kennels and again 5-7 days later. The faeces were examined for the presence of campylobacters, salmonella and Giardia lamblia. No significant difference was found in the rate of isolation of these organisms between the two age groups. There was, however, a significant increase in the rate of isolation at days 5-7 compared with day 1. It is suggested that while dogs may acquire campylobacter infection in kennels, excretion of the organism may be intermittent and may be precipitated by stress. A low incidence of salmonellae and Giardia lamblia excretion was detected.