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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Risk Factors for Injury in Border Collies Competing in Agility Competitions.
The jump height relative to the shoulder height was associated with injury, with dogs jumping noticeably above or below shoulder height more likely to report a history of injury. Other identified risk factors included the number of weekends spent competing/year, the number of competitions at the national level, the age when starting elbow height jumps and backside jumps, the acquisition of the dog from a breeder, and the age of the handler.

Owner survey suggests cats may be undertreated for pain compared to dogs after an elective ovariohysterectomy or orchiectomy.
Analgesics were prescribed for 19 of 162 (12%) pets: 14 of 88 (16%) dogs and 5 of 74 (6.7%) cats. There was no difference in the prescription of analgesics between dogs and cats after ovariohysterectomy or orchiectomy. 15 of 19 owners reported their compliance in administering analgesics at 78.9%. Owners' subjective assessments showed that 24 of 86 (28%) dogs and 12 of 68 (17%) cats appeared painful at home.

"My Bitch Is Empty!" An Overview of the Reasons for Pregnancy Loss in Dogs.
If embryonic death occurs before day 35 of gestation, the embryo is absorbed. Fetal death in the second half of gestation leads to abortion or fetal emphysema, maceration, or mummification.

Indications for Radiation Therapy in Veterinary Medicine
This article highlights some of the essential elements for clinical decision making in veterinary radiation oncology, with case examples to give general practitioners a better understanding of what types of cases may be appropriate for radiation therapy.

Duration of efficacy and effect of implant location in adult queens treated with a 9.4 mg deslorelin subcutaneous implant.
The average duration of action of the 9.4 mg deslorelin implant was 790 ± 155 days (range 525-1140 days) with no significant difference in duration or efficacy depending on implantation sites. The 9.4 mg deslorelin implant causes pharmacological sterilization for about 2 years in female cats, is fully reversible, and caused no clinically relevant side effects when administered at both interscapular and periumbilical sites.