Therefore, thanks to laboratory technology in Italy, the occult filariosi
(presence of macrofilariae in the dog's heart without microfiliariae in
the peripheral blood) is, for a vet, a more diagnosable disease.
Prophylaxis
To carry out blood tests every spring for D.immitis research.
If the blood test results are negative:
- Tablet content (active ingredient milbemycin oxim) to be taken once
a month, throughout the whole period in which there are mosquitoes.
In particular, in the area where I work, from March to December (inclusive).
- Tablet content (active ingredient Ivermectine) to be administered
March-December (inclusive).
- Subcutaneous injections every 42-50 days. The last treatment must
be carried out when the mosquito carrier has gone (when it is cold).
Concerning the tablets, they could be ineffective, as any medicine taken
orally could be vomited.
It is not the ineffectiveness of the drug taken orally, but the lack of
absorption of the drug, that makes the preventive treatment ineffective.
Therefore, when the dog undergoes a treatment in tablet form, he must
be kept under surveillance for at least an hour, to make sure the medicine
has been swallowed and absorbed.
N.B.: during a dog's pregnancy I always prefere to use a tablet treatment
(mylbemycinoxim).
For puppies around 40/50 days old, I use ivermectine injections (under
the skin) without any drawbacks, I use a substantial dosage, differently
from what many Italian and foreign authors refer, (0.1ml of ivermectine
for 10kg of weight).
Useful advice: an owner that, in any case, brings his dog in an area where
the disease is widespread (for example the Po valley) must start the treatment
within 30 days. After leaving the area, the dog must undergo chemopropyylaxis.
After about 6/8 months another check up is to be done by means of blood
tests as already described for the possible presence of D.immitis.
Presently C.P.F. is no longer a problem. I do not believe that there is
a drug that guarantees a 100% chemoprophylaxis, but the effectiveness
of medicine at our disposal in the prevention of the disease is, in my
opinion, perhaps 100%.
Therefore it is not completely true that C.P.F. is rifer in the area where
I work. The occult filariasis (absence of microfilariae in the blood and
with macrofilariae in the heart) is more and more diagnosable.
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| A 5-year old, male Maremma/Abruzzo sheep dog. The dog's owner had never done a blood test to check for C.P.F. Thorax x-ray side view projection-thromboembolism phase, a typical build-up of the parenchyme lung. |
After using a significant therapy, i proceeded the treatment with only one immiticide injection.
After 90 days the c.p.f. snap-test was positive. Therefore, after about 95 days, i continued the treatment with 2 immiticide injections-24 hours apart- (a dosage: 2,5 mg/kg 2,5 mg/kg was also used in the first treatment).
After further 90 days i did another c.p.f. snap-test with a positive result.
After about further 20 days i repeated the treatment with immiticide (dosage: 2,5mg/kg twice, 24 hours apart).
After about further 90 days the c.p.f. snap-test was negative.
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