Parasitismo gastrointestinal y pulmonar en caballos cocheros del municipio de Caldas, Antioquia, Colombia

Abstract

Introduction. Draft horses (not as a breed) are still used as work tools by many poor people in underdeveloped countries. It is important to take care of their health, for them to be well and have a good performance. For this care, their parasitic state is very important. Objective. Determine, by the use of coprological parasitic tests, the presence of gastrointestinal and pulmonary parasites in a group of 40 creole draft horses in Caldas, Antioquia, Colombia. Materials and methods. A general clinical test was made to every horse, collecting data by stool sampling directly taken from the rectum, in order to analyze the samples in the laboratory. The type and quantity of eggs per gram were determined (McMaster´s technique) along with the presence of larvae with pulmonary migration (Baermann´s technique). Results. 27.5% of the horses were positive for parasites. 22.5% of them had strongyle eggs and 7.5% had Dictyocaulus sp. larvae. Conclusion. Draft horses in Caldas, Antioquia, have strongyles and Dictyocaulus sp. in a low frequency.