Top 5 Tips for Interpreting Heartworm Test Results

Clin Brief. March 2022;20(2):. 9 Refs

Andrew R Moorhead¹, Cassan N Pulaski

¹ College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.

Author Abstract

Diagnosing heartworm infection in dogs and cats requires more than a patient-side antigen test. Discover one expert's approach to interpreting heartworm test results.

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Case series of maggot debridement therapy demonstrates safety and efficacy for treating problematic wounds in cats and dogs in Mexico.
Treatment was administered by applying 8-10 larvae per square cm surface area directly on the wound bed and covering the wound with a sterile polyester mesh, sutured to the skin. These were left on the wound for cycles of approximately 48 hours (24-72 hours); the cycles were repeated if more than 20% necrotic tissue remained after treatment. Review of these cases revealed that 80% of treated wounds achieved 100% debridement within 48-96 hours of treatment.

Effects of intranasal maropitant on clinical signs of naturally acquired upper respiratory disease in shelter cats.
There was no significant difference in clinical improvement score between the maropitant treatment and control groups for conjunctivitis, blepharospasm, ocular discharge, nasal discharge, or total disease severity after 7 days.

Resolution of egg binding is possible in most client-owned parrots when multiple treatment strategies are considered.
Of the 150 events that had complete follow-up, 109 (72.7%) resulted in a successful outcome. A successful outcome was observed in 44 of 133 events (33.1%) that were initially managed medically without resorting to additional treatment strategies, in 31 events (86.1%) managed with mechanical assistance, in 20 events (60.6%) managed surgically, and in 12 events (85.7%) managed with ovocentesis.

Head tilt in 6 Ankole-Watusi cattle (Bos taurus ankole) with chronic exudative cornual sinusitis.
Clinically, 4 of the 6 cases had concurrent otitis at the time of initial clinical observation. Medical management was the standard across all cases with limited surgical success in 2 cases. Due to intractable and progressive clinical signs despite treatment attempts, euthanasia and postmortem examinations were performed.

Efficacy, safety and interval from end of treatment to estrus in cats treated with an ultra-low dose megestrol acetate protocol for suppression of reproductive activity.
Twenty-eight queens were treated orally with 11.5 µg/kg/day of megestrol acetate (MA) for one to six months. MA suppressed reproductive function effectively in 27/28 queens. Transient mammary and uterine hyperplasia were detected in four (14 %) and three (11 %) queens, respectively, treated for more than four months, without associated clinical signs. Significant but reversible weight gain was observed in 85 % of the animals. The resumption of cyclicity occurred on average 6 weeks after the end of treatment but was influenced by the duration of treatment and seasonality.