Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Heartworm treatment effects in female Beagles
By Savadelis, Molly D et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2020·Department of Infectious Diseases, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Clinical assessment of heartworm-infected Beagles treated with a combination of imidacloprid/moxidectin and doxycycline, or untreated.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 16 female Beagles with heartworm infection were treated with a combination of a topical medication (imidacloprid/moxidectin) and an oral antibiotic (doxycycline) to see how well it worked compared to untreated dogs. The treated dogs showed higher liver enzyme levels, indicating some liver stress, but overall, the treatment was well-tolerated with no serious side effects. Both groups had signs of heartworm disease on tests, but the treated dogs had more pulmonary artery issues. The study suggests that this treatment approach could be safe for managing heartworm in dogs.
People also search for: Beagle heartworm treatment · imidacloprid moxidectin for dogs · doxycycline heartworm treatment
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Administration of moxidectin topically and doxycycline PO has been utilized experimentally as an alternative treatment for heartworm disease. However, clinical effects of this protocol remain poorly characterized. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical and postmortem findings associated with administration of doxycycline and monthly 10% imidacloprid + 2.5% moxidectin (IMD + MOX, Advantage Multi/Advocate) to Dirofilaria immitis-experimentally infected as compared to nontreated control dogs. ANIMALS: Sixteen purpose-bred, female, Beagle dogs. METHODS: Prospective, blinded, experimental study. Animals with surgically transplanted adult heartworms were randomized into 2 study groups of equal size: a nontreated control group (n = 8) and an IMD + MOX and doxycycline-treated group (n = 8). Randomization was performed using a complete block design according to circulating microfilarial concentrations, measured before treatment. Serum biochemical profiles, CBCs, thoracic radiographs and echocardiograms were performed prior to and 3 weeks after transplantation, and monthly for 10 months. Postmortem gross and histopathologic evaluations were performed. RESULTS: Compared to control animals, mean ± SD serum alanine aminotransferase (181 ± 203 U/L vs 33 ± 7 U/L; P < .0001) and alkaline phosphatase (246 ± 258 U/L vs 58 ± 19 U/L; P < .0001) activities were significantly higher in the treated group on day 28. Radiographic and echocardiographic evidence of heartworm disease was observed in both groups; however, no significant differences in these variables were noted between groups. Mean ± SD pulmonary arterial thrombus score was significantly higher in the treated vs nontreated group (3.9 ± 0.4 and 1.5 ± 2.1, respectively; P = .01). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: The treatment protocol was well-tolerated with no clinically relevant adverse effects for any variable evaluated during the observational period.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32691900/