2017 Volume 26 Issue 1 Pages 16-23
Twenty-two dogs diagnosed with canine heartworm disease (HWD) were classified into four groups (Class 1 [11 dogs], Class 2 [5 dogs], Class 3 [5 dogs], and Class 4 [1 dog]). Treatment was attempted with oral doxycycline and ivermectin combined with a single injection of melarsomine. The mean survival time until the final observation day was 504 days [22 dogs], and the mortality was 22.7% ([5/22 dogs]: Class 1 [1/11 dogs], Class 3 [4/5 dogs]). The mean time to negative conversion on the antigen test before the final observation day was 312 days, and the negative conversion rate was 95% (19 of the 20 dogs tested were negative) . Furthermore, in Class 3 dogs, the ascites disappeared for 76 days in 1 dog and for 685 days in another dog, and the disappearance of ascites and significant improvement in fainting spells were observed for 812 days in 1 dog. Moreover, improvement in the findings of the chest X-ray examination and significant improvement in the clinical symptoms were confirmed in 1 dog in Class 4. Our results indicate that treatment with oral doxycycline and ivermectin combined with a single injection of melarsomine is safe and can be effectively used for the treatment of canine HWD.
