Assessing the Knowledge of Dog Owners Regarding Dirofilaria immitis in Veterinary Clinics of Penang, Malaysia

Abstract

Dirofilariasis or canine heartworm disease (CHWD) is a parasitic nematode infection caused by Dirofilaria immits. These roundworm parasites will spread to dogs via the bite of a mosquito which will eventually cause heart failure in the canine. This study aims to evaluate the knowledge of dog owners regarding D. immitis in different veterinary clinics in Penang, Malaysia. The study design of this research was a cross-sectional observational study. This study was conducted using a Google form questionnaire in 4 chosen veterinary clinics and centres of Penang, i.e., Animal Aid Veterinary Clinic, Cuddles Veterinary Hospital, Cuddles Veterinary Clinic, and Ark Veterinary Centre. Answers of questionnaires were collected and analyzed with Microsoft Excel and Chi-square test. The study showed that only a small percentage of dog owners (14% at Animal Aid Veterinary Clinic and 2% at the remaining 3 clinics) had excellent knowledge of D. immitis. Dog owners who scored a moderate level of knowledge in Animal Aid Veterinary Clinic, Cuddles Veterinary Hospital, Cuddles Veterinary Clinic, and Ark Animal Veterinary Center were 36%, 40%, 38%, and 8%, respectively. Most of the dog owners scored a poor level of knowledge carrying high percentage values of 50%, 58%, 60%, and 90%. In addition, it was found that there was no significant association between the characteristics of respondents and the knowledge level (p > 0,05) in this study. Therefore, it is recommended for veterinary clinics and centres to promote awareness of canine heartworm disease to clients so that the dogs’ welfare can be improved by practicing the basic preventive and control measures in Penang, Malaysia.

Dirofilariasis atau penyakit cacing jantung anjing adalah infeksi nematoda parasit yang disebabkan oleh Dirofilaria immitis. Cacing nematoda ini akan menyebar ke anjing melalui gigitan nyamuk yang akan menyebabkan gagal jantung pada anjing. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengetahuan pemilik anjing tentang D. immitis di berbagai klinik hewan di Penang, Malaysia. Desain penelitian ini adalah studi observasi cross-sectional. Penelitian ini dilakukan dengan menggunakan kuesioner Google form di 4 klinik hewan di pusat Kota Penang, yaitu Animal Aid Veterinary Clinic, Cuddles Veterinary Hospital, Cuddles Veterinary Clinic, dan Ark Veterinary Centre. Jawaban kuesioner dikumpulkan dan dianalisis dengan Microsoft Excel dan uji Chi-square. Hasil studi menunjukkan bahwa hanya sebagian kecil pemilik anjing (14% di Animal Aid Veterinary Clinic dan 2% di 3 klinik lainnya) yang memiliki pengetahuan yang sangat baik tentang D. immitis. Pemilik anjing yang mendapat nilai tingkat pengetahuan sedang dijumpai di Animal Aid Veterinary Clinic, Cuddles Veterinary Hospital, Cuddles Veterinary Clinic, dan Ark Veterinary Centre yaitu 36%, 40%, 38%, dan 8%. Sebagian besar pemilik anjing mendapat nilai tingkat pengetahuan buruk dengan persentase yang tinggi yaitu 50%, 58%, 60%, dan 90%. Selain itu, tidak ditemukan hubungan yang signifikan antara karakteristik responden dengan tingkat pengetahuan (p > 0,05) dalam penelitian ini. Oleh karena itu, disarankan untuk klinik hewan untuk memberikan edukasi penyakit cacing jantung anjing kepada pemilik hewan sehingga kesejahteraan anjing dapat ditingkatkan dengan mempraktikkan tindakan pencegahan dan pengendalian di Penang, Malaysia.