|
Treatment.
The choice to subject the patient to the treatment was carried out after
doing a blood count test, a liver and kidney functional test, thorax x-rays,
an electrocardiography and an echocardiography.
The adulticide drug MELARSOMINE is administered intramuscolar dosage:
2,5mg/Kg intramuscolar (lumbar) 2 times, 24 hours apart from each injection.
Microfilaricide therapy with injectable Ivermectine together with corticosteroids
after 6/8 weeks (dosage: 0.1ml of ivermectine in solution for every 5/8kg
of the dog's weight).
After about further 30 days blood tests were carried out, in the presence
of the client, to show the recovery of the patient that is subject to
the examination.
Sometimes I give only one Melarsomine injection as an adulticide treatment
as, in my opinion, it reduces D.I. death to 60/70% and therefore, chances
of thromboembolism, which is potentially deathly for the dog.
In that case, after about 4/5 months, I can give a complete treatment
with 2 injections 24 hours apart from each other, which finally eliminates
the adult parasites.
C.P.F. is a disease where the opposite occurs.
The treatment can be very simple or it can cause a dog's death by thromboembolism.
According to his own experience, a vet will decide the dosage of the adulticide
and micrifilaricide medicine to be administered in a prepared context
for 10 days:
- acetilsalicilic acid 10mg/kg die per os;
- liver tonic;
- diuretic;
- digitalis;
- myocardiothrophic;
- medicine from the ACHE-INHIBITOR famil;y
- corticosteroids;
- aminofilline.
A cocktail of this medicine, together with the specific therapy and according
to the dog's health, is variably administered for a period of 30/40 days
etc.
It is difficult to express in a few lines how the patient's preparation
and the treatment should be, as they must always be personalised.
The dog's owner is explained the disease cycle and the treatment, and
then the dog is re-examined once a week.
Conclusion
The disease is certainly less and less spread in the area where I
work. The vet advises a blood test to be carried out in spring and then
the chemoprophylaxis starts around March until December (included), the
months in which the mosquito is present.
A proper treatment allows results to be over 99% effective.
But, on the other hand, the occult filariasis (the parasite in the heart,
without microfilariae circulating in the peripheral blood) is still very
much widespread.
Objectives to achieve
To eradicate the disease it is necessary to:
1. know the areas infected with D:immitis;
2. do Chemioprophylaxis by means of terapy injections or tablets, put
on the market by the pharmaceutical industry;
3. be able to kill the mosquito by disinfesting the environment (local
authorities, political problems).
4. Treating dogs that move from an uninfected C.P.F. area to an area where
C.P.F. is widespread with a preventive treatment within 30/42 days and
blood tests after about
6/8 months, helps to detect the presence of any possible infestation.
On such a situation it is necessary to proceed with the treatment immediately.
This advice allows us to say that, thanks to pharmaceutical research,
C.P.F. is an easily
diagnosable and controllable disease by means of chemoprophylaxis.
Keywords
D.immitis-Dirofilaria immitis
Macrofilaria-intracardiac adult parasite.
Microfilaria-Parasites in larval form in the peripheral blood.
C.P.F.-Cardiopulmonary filariasis.
References
1. Manuscript of pathological anatomy from the 800's (anonymous).
2. General pathological treatment-DR A. Lustig. Societa' Editrice Libraria.
3. Précis de Diagnostic Médical par A. Monvoisin, Paris
Asselim et Houzeau 1919.
4. Pathology and special therapy for domestic animals. Dr. F. Hutjra,
Dr. J. Marek. Italian edition. Dr G. Gerosa, published in Milan 1929 Dr.
Vallardi.
5. Larry Patrik Tilley - cardiopulmonary diagnostic techniques. Editor
Antonio Delfano 1984.
6. Dott. A. Vezzosi - The cardiopulmonary filariasis. Scivac edition,
Cremona 1987.
7. R.W. Swanton - Cardiology Editor - Scientific Centre 1984.
8. Peter Darke, John D. Bonagura, Donald F. Kelly - Veterinary Cardiology.
Publisher Mosby - Wolfe 1996.
9. G. Haroutunian - Echographie du chien et du chat. Publisher Vigot 1996.
COLUZZI M. TRABUCCHI R. 1968 : Importance of the protection of the
pharyngeal hole
in Anopheles and Culex in relation to the infection with Dirofilaria.Parasitology,
10:47-59.
LIU K., DAS K.M., TASHJIAN R.J., 1966: Adult Dirofilaria Immitis in
the arterial system
of a dog. J.A.V.M.A., 15: 1501-1507.
ROBERTS E.P., 1985: A study of dog heartworm (Dirofilaria Immitis)
in the Baltimora
- Washington area. Dissertatio Abstracts inernationl, 45.11:3418.
ATKINS C.E., 1987: Caval Syndrome in the dog. Seminars in Vet. Med.
And Surg. 2 (1):67-71
ATWELL R.B., BOREHAM P.F., 1982: Possible mechanism of the caval syndrome
in dog
infected with Dirofilaria Immitis. Aust. Vet. J. 59:161-162.
ETTNGER S.J., SUTER P.F., 1970 Canine cardiology, Philadelphia, W.B.
Saunders Co.
|