Dog in Canada with high calcium leads to first local heartworm case

Abstract

An 8-month-old intact male Labrador retriever dog from New Brunswick was referred to the Atlantic Veterinary College Small Animal Internal Medicine service (Prince Edward Island) for evaluation of marked hypercalcemia, polyuria-polydipsia, and urinary incontinence. Thoracic radiographs revealed a nonspecific, patchy-to-diffuse, interstitial-to-alveolar lung pattern, despite the absence of respiratory signs or abnormal lung auscultation. Fecal examination by Baermann analysis identified 1st-stage larvae of. Althoughhas been documented in wild canid populations in parts of eastern Canada, this was the first confirmed case of an autochthonous infection in a companion animal in mainland Canada. The findings provide further evidence for the geographic expansion ofwithin the Canadian Maritimes and contribute to a growing body of reports describing its emergence in North America. The dog's clinical presentation was atypical for angiostrongylosis, with no respiratory signs despite radiographic abnormalities, and hypercalcemia as a prominent clinical feature. These findings highlighted the variable and sometimes nonspecific nature ofinfection in dogs. Veterinarians practicing in eastern Canada should consideras a differential diagnosis in dogs with compatible clinical or imaging findings, even in the absence of respiratory signs or known endemicity. Routine Baermann fecal screening and prophylaxis with effective anthelmintics are recommended for dogs with increased risk of exposure to gastropod intermediate hosts. Key clinical message:is an emerging parasite in North America and can induce a variety of clinical signs in dogs. Veterinarians, specifically in the Canadian Maritimes, need to consideras a potential cause of respiratory signs, neurological signs, bleeding, and other clinical signs, and should recommend appropriate parasite prophylaxis in newly endemic areas.