Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog in Serbia with heartworm and worm in hernia sac
By Rajković, Milan et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports·2026·Department of Parasitology·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens co-infection in a microfilaremic dog from Negotin, Eastern Serbia: Unusual localization of adult Dirofilaia repens in an abdominal hernia sac.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old dog with a swollen belly was brought to a vet in Serbia, where they discovered three worms during surgery to fix an abdominal hernia. These worms were identified as Dirofilaria repens, which can cause health issues in dogs and humans. Tests also showed the presence of another type of heartworm, Dirofilaria immitis. After the surgery, the dog was treated with a combination of medications, including imidacloprid and moxidectin, along with doxycycline. The dog recovered well after treatment.
People also search for: dog abdominal swelling · Dirofilaria repens treatment · heartworm in dogs · dog hernia surgery recovery
Abstract
Cardiopulmonary and subcutaneous dirofilariosis, caused by the nematodes Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens, are vector-borne diseases of growing concern in both veterinary and human medicine. While typically found in predilection sites, atypical localizations have been documented for both species. The first case of adult D. repens found in a dog's abdominal hernia sac in Eastern Serbia is reported in this study. A 7-year-old dog was brought to a veterinary clinic in Negotin, Serbia with lateral abdominal swelling. During hernia repair surgery, three filiform nematodes were discovered on the peritoneal serosa of the hernial sac, later identified as D. repens. Modified Knott's test reveals the presence of both D. immitis/D. repens microfilariae. After surgical procedure and recovery, the dog was treated with monthly combination of imidacloprid and moxidectin (Advocate, Bayer AG), along with one-month course of doxycycline. This case highlights the need for awareness of zoonotic D. repens atypical presentations in endemic regions.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41741045/