Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Heartworm removal in 52 dogs using two devices compared
By Yoon, W K et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2013·College of Veterinary Medicine and Institute of Veterinary Science, South Korea·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Comparison of 2 retrieval devices for heartworm removal in 52 dogs with heavy worm burden.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 52 dogs with severe heartworm infections underwent a procedure to remove the worms using two different tools: a basket device and tripod grasping forceps. The basket device was found to be more effective, capturing an average of 3.5 worms per attempt compared to 1.9 worms with the forceps. While both methods had high survival rates—95.5% for the basket and 80% for the forceps—there were some complications noted with both devices. Overall, the basket device proved to be the more efficient option for heartworm removal in these dogs.
People also search for: dog heartworm treatment · heartworm removal devices · dog heartworm infection symptoms
Abstract
BACKGROUND: For treating dogs with heavy heartworm infection, mechanical removal using various retrieval devices is useful. However, the efficacy and safety of retrieval devices have rarely been studied. HYPOTHESIS: Catheter-based heartworm removal using 2 retrieval devices (basket and tripod grasping forceps) is efficient and safe for treating dogs with heavy worm burden. ANIMALS: Fifty-two client-owned dogs with heavy (Class III and IV) worm burden. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed on 52 dogs, using a catheter-based heartworm removal approach using 2 types of retrieval devices (ie, the basket and the tripod grasping forceps). The efficacy and complications associated with the 2 devices were assessed. RESULTS: The basket device was used on 22 of the study group dogs, and the tripod grasping forceps was used on 30 of the dogs. The postoperative survival rate was 95.5% for the basket device and 80% for the tripod grasping forceps, but the difference was not statistically significant. The worm number captured per attempt was 3.5 ± 1.7 using the basket device and 1.9 ± 0.85 for the tripod grasping forceps (P < .05). Various complications associated with heartworm removal were noticed with both retrieval devices. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: This study suggests that catheter-based heartworm removal is not only a relatively safe and efficient therapeutic method in dogs with heavy worm burden, but more efficient using the basket device. Our data do not indicate a clear safety advantage between the 2 devices evaluated, although the survival rate was numerically higher in dogs undergoing a basket intervention.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23600618/