Distribution and characterization of Clostridium difficile isolated from dogs in Japan

• We report that a survey of fecal samples from dogs in Japan indicates that 30% of dogs harbor Clostridium difficile.
• Many isolates obtained from these dogs are toxigenic, and some are resistant to antimicrobials.

We collected 204 nondiarrhoeic canine fecal samples and isolated 68 Clostridium difficile strains from 62 of these samples. Strains were grouped into 29 PCR ribotypes. Only 47% of the strains were toxigenic.