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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

Heartworm dogs treated with doxycycline and ivermectin show mostly

By Mavropoulou, Antonia et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology·2014·Department of Veterinary Sciences, Italy·View original on PubMed

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Original publication title: Clinical assessment of post-adulticide complications in Dirofilaria immitis-naturally infected dogs treated with doxycycline and ivermectin.

Species:
dog

Plain-English summary

A group of dogs with heartworm disease (caused by Dirofilaria immitis) were treated with a combination of doxycycline and ivermectin to see how well they would respond. Most of the dogs showed improvement in their heart and lung function over time, with 84% either getting better or resolving their symptoms completely. Although some dogs had initial worsening of their condition, about 70% improved by the end of the treatment period. This combination treatment was well tolerated, suggesting it could be a good option for managing heartworm disease in dogs.

People also search for: dog heartworm treatment · doxycycline for heartworm in dogs · ivermectin heartworm side effects

Abstract

This study shows that a combination of doxycycline (10mg/kg/sid for 30 days) and ivermectin (6 μg/kg/every 15 days for 6 months) is well tolerated for the treatment of canine heartworm disease (HWD). Monthly echocardiography showed that 84% of treated dogs either progressively improved parameters indicative of pulmonary hypertension or, following slight worsening, resolved all signs. Thoracic radiography showed the persistence of interstitial inflammation, even though also in this case, approximately 70% of the dogs steadily improved or worsened but then improved by the end of the study.

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Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24986465/