1. Severe heartworm disease in two dogs cured by an alternative therapy
- Author
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Vuk Vračar, Ljiljana Kuruca, Vesna Lalošević, Stanislav Simin, Aleksandar Potkonjak, and Ljubica Spasojevic-Kosic
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,Alternative therapy ,Veterinary medicine ,030231 tropical medicine ,heartworm ,heart failure ,Dirofilaria immitis ,Gastroenterology ,030308 mycology & parasitology ,alternative therapy ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Ivermectin ,Internal medicine ,Ascites ,parasitic diseases ,SF600-1100 ,Medicine ,Heartworm disease ,Doxycycline ,0303 health sciences ,General Veterinary ,biology ,business.industry ,medicine.disease ,biology.organism_classification ,3. Good health ,Dirofilaria repens ,Heart failure ,medicine.symptom ,business ,medicine.drug - Abstract
The objective of this paper is to describe two cases of heartworm disease in dogs presented with ascites and dyspnea. A diagnosis of mixed infection with both Dirofilaria immitis (D. immitis) and Dirofilaria repens (D. repens) was established in the first case, while D. immitis was detected in the other dog. Based on clinical, parasitological, laboratory and radiographic examinations, the diagnosis of severe stage heartworm disease (HWD) was established because both dogs were in heart failure due to HWD. An alternative therapeutic protocol with combined doxycycline and ivermectin was used as an antiparasitic treatment in both cases. No microfilariae were detected after 30 and 60 days, and no antigen to D. immitis was detected after 8 and 12 months in the first and second case, respectively. Based on the clinical examinations and parasitological testing performed, the two dogs were considered cured of HWD by this alternative therapy.
- Published
- 2020