Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
D-dimer changes show blood clots risk in dogs treated for heartworm
By Carretón, E et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology·2013·Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Spain·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Variation of D-dimer values as assessment of pulmonary thromboembolism during adulticide treatment of heartworm disease in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 15 dogs with heartworm disease were treated with a combination of medications, including ivermectin and melarsomine, to kill the adult worms. During treatment, some dogs showed signs of pulmonary thromboembolism, which is a blockage in the lungs caused by fragments of dying worms. The D-dimer test, which measures a substance released when blood clots dissolve, was used to monitor these dogs. Most dogs had high D-dimer levels initially, but by day 271 after treatment, all dogs had undetectable levels, indicating that the treatment was effective.
People also search for: dog heartworm treatment · D-dimer test for dogs · signs of pulmonary thromboembolism in dogs
Abstract
Dirofilaria immitis adult worms lodged in the pulmonary arteries are the causative agent of heartworm disease, characterized by endarteritis and obstruction of the blood flow. Dying worms form embolic fragments which trigger thrombosis. Thus, pulmonary thromboembolism is an inevitable consequence of successful adulticide therapy. Clinical signs of pulmonary thromboembolisms are highly variable and non-specific, and its diagnosis is often difficult to obtain. The D-dimer assay is considered the marker of choice for dogs with a suspicion of pulmonary thromboembolism. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the variation of D-dimer and platelets in 15 heartworm-infected dogs during the adulticide treatment with ivermectin, doxycycline and melarsomine. Nine dogs were considered to have a low parasite burden and 6 had a high burden. Measurements were carried out on days 0, 60, and afterwards weekly on days 67, 75, 82, 91, 98, 106, 113, 120, and finally on day 271 after treatment. 40% of dogs showed pathological concentrations of D-dimer and 40% showed slight or mild thrombocytopenia on day 0. The levels of D-dimer decreased by day 60, probably due to the joint action of the ivermectin, doxycycline and exercise restriction. All dogs with high parasite burden showed elevated values of D-dimer on several occasions during the treatment, reaching the highest values the first and second week after the injections of melarsomine. Only 33.3% of the dogs with low parasite burden showed elevated D-dimer levels at some point during the treatment, and all of them showed undetectable levels from the third week after the first injection of melarsomine. On day 271, all dogs showed undetectable levels of D-dimer. There was no correlation between thrombocytopenia and levels of D-dimer during the treatment. The evaluation of serum D-dimer appears to be a supportive test in the assessment and monitoring of pulmonary thromboembolism in dogs with heartworm disease during the adulticide treatment.
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/23384581/