Abstract

Pet ownership is increasing in northern Nigeria, yet limited epidemiological data exist on how feeding and housing practices influence disease patterns in dogs and cats. This retrospective study assessed the association between feeding types, housing systems, and disease prevalence among canine and feline cases presented to the Veterinary Clinic Sokoto, Aliyu Jodi Road, between 2021 and 2023. Clinical records of 2,164 cases (1,424 dogs and 740 cats) were extracted and analyzed using chi-square tests in SPSS version 29. Diseases were categorized as infectious or non-infectious, while feeding types included animal protein, table remnants, canned food and suckling. Housing systems were classified as indoor or stray. In dogs, 996 (69.9%) cases were infectious and 428 (30.1%) non-infectious, with tick infestation (39.4%) and parvoviral enteritis (9.6%) predominating. In cats, 243 (32.8%) were infectious and 497 (67.2%) non-infectious, with traumatic injuries (26.1%) and helminthosis (19.1%) most frequent. Feeding type was significantly associated with disease prevalence in dogs (χ² = 18.72, p = 0.004), with table remnants accounting for the majority of infectious cases, whereas no significant association was observed in cats (χ² = 2.81, p = 0.729). Housing system showed significant associations with disease type in both dogs (χ² = 6.45, p = 0.011) and cats (χ² = 4.62, p = 0.032). These findings highlight species-specific disease patterns and highlight the importance of improved feeding practices and housing management to reduce infectious burdens and enhance companion animal welfare in resource-limited environments.

Key words: Cats, Disease, Dogs, Feeding, Housing