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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

Two 9-month-old dogs with breathing trouble from French heartworm

By van Dijk, E P & Overgaauw, P A M·Published in Tijdschrift voor diergeneeskunde·2009·Dierenkliniek De Arker·View original on PubMed

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Original publication title: [Pulmonary problems in dogs in the Netherlands with alarming cause (angiostrongylus vasorum)].

Species:
dog

Plain-English summary

Two 9-month-old dogs were brought to the vet because they were having trouble breathing. Tests showed that they had a parasitic infection caused by the French heartworm, Angiostrongylus vasorum, which can be spread by snakes. The vet treated them with a medication that combined moxidectin and imidacloprid, and this treatment worked well, helping the dogs recover from their breathing problems.

People also search for: dog breathing problems · French heartworm treatment · puppy dyspnea causes

Abstract

Two 9 month old dogs, that were presented with a history of increasing dyspnoea, are discussed. Examination of blood and lung lavage material gave indications for a parasitic cause. Using the Baermann method of fresh feces, larvae of the French heartworm Angiostrongylus vasorum were found. This worm is transferred via snakes and to a lesser extent by other (paratenic) hosts and has been reported regularly as autochthonous infection in The Netherlands during the last two years. Treatment with a licensed product with a combination of the active ingredients moxidectin and imidacloprid was effective.

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Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19645253/