Preventing heartworm in dogs with spinosad and milbemycin oxime

Abstract

Three separate randomized, blinded, vehicle-controlled studies were conducted to determine the effectiveness of a single treatment and consecutive monthly treatments of a combination flavored tablet product containing spinosad and milbemycin oxime (MBO) in the prevention of the establishment of heartworm infections in dogs challenged with recent field isolates of the heartworm (HW), Dirofilaria immitis. For each study, dogs were allocated randomly based on pre-treatment body weights to treated or control groups of 10 animals each. Dogs were infected once with infective HW larvae, on Day-30, using either a Michigan isolate or a Georgia (MP3) isolate of D. immitis. Treatments of beef-flavored chewable tablets were administered in two studies one time either on Day 0 or Day 15, and in one study twice (Days 0 and 30, or Days 15 and 45) or 3 times (Days 0, 30 and 60). For the combination product groups, dosages were in the range of 30-45 mg/kg (13.6-20.5mg/lb) for spinosad and 0.5-0.75 mg/kg (0.2-0.34 mg/lb) for MBO. Necropsies for heartworm counts were completed following euthanasia on Day 120 or Day 123. A single treatment with the combination product of spinosad and MBO 30 or 45 days post-inoculation with infective HW larvae was completely effective (100%) in preventing establishment of the Michigan D. immitis isolate, but efficacy against the Georgia MP3 isolate was incomplete, with geometric mean reductions in HW counts relative to vehicle treated controls of 99% reduction of the 30 day infection and a 98.9% reduction of the 45 day old infection. Against this same MP3 isolate, 3 consecutive monthly treatments provided complete prevention (100%) against establishment of D. immitis infections. The combination product of spinosad and MBO provides effective control of canine heartworms. A single treatment at 30 days post infection showed high but incomplete effectiveness against a heartworm isolate that had been shown to be partially refractory to treatment with marketed monthly heartworm preventives. Three consecutive monthly treatments provided complete control, providing support to the recommendation that heartworm prophylaxis should be maintained year round for optimal effectiveness.