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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Mass rabies exposure of veterinary health care workers in Germany: Management, immune response, and tolerability of post exposure-prophylaxis.
In 2008, Germany was declared free from terrestrial rabies by the WOAH. However, illegal pet imports can still lead to rabies exposure, as seen in the 2021 case of a rabid puppy illegally imported to Germany, resulting in a mass exposure (39 veterinary clinic staff) incident.

Cryptorchidism in dogs and cats presented for elective gonadectomy: A descriptive cohort study of 306 animals treated between 2018 and 2023.
5,476 dogs and 11,559 cats were presented to the same facility for elective surgical castration, suggesting a cryptorchid incidence of 3.21 % for dogs and 1.12 % for cats. Cryptorchid testes were more commonly observed in the inguinal area than in the abdomen, and were more frequently located unilaterally on the right side in both dogs and cats.

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Forty-nine of fifty-one (96%) of deep pain-positive and 10/21 (48%) of deep pain-negative dogs recovered ambulation within the 12-week period. The median time to ambulation was 11 and 25 days for deep pain-positive and -negative dogs, respectively. Reduction in spinal cord compression varied among individuals from minimal to complete and apparently was unrelated to the recovery of ambulation.

[Disease Caused by Filoviruses: An Update].
The Marburg and Ebola viruses belong to the Filoviridae family and are known to cause emerging zoonotic diseases. These viruses have a high case fatality rate and are easily transmissible from person to person, which makes them capable of triggering outbreaks, including in non-endemic regions, and are also considered agents of bioterrorism. This review aims to improve clinical knowledge and the approach to suspected cases of FD. Improved surveillance and preparedness for potential global outbreaks are essential measures to effectively respond to these public health threats and to ensure that healthcare professionals are well-informed and prepared to deal with these diseases.

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The most frequent reasons cited were Behavior Issues (28%), Housing/Moving (18%), Unable to Care (16%), Too Many Pets (10%), Financial (6%), and Owner Allergies (5%). The most common behavioral reasons reported were Aggression (32% of behavioral surrenders), Social Conflict (28%), and Soiling (13%).