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Abstract
Canine heartworm disease is caused by infection with Dirofilaria immitis, a filarial
nematode that resides in the pulmonary arteries and occasionally in the right heart
chambers of infected dogs. Here the authors evaluated the effect of a combination
of doxycycline (10 mg/kg/sid for 30 days) and ivermectin–pyrantel(6μg/kg [DOSAGE ERROR
CORRECTED] of ivermectin+5mg/kg of pyrantel every 15 days for 180 days) on microfilariemia,
antigenemia and parasite load at echocardiography in naturally infected dogs from
an endemic region of Italy. Dogs were examined monthly for 6 months and followed-up
4 months later. One hundred percent of dogs became negative for circulating microfilariae
by day 90, while 8/11 (72.7%) of dogs became antigen-negative by day 300. Of the 7
dogs that were positive for visualization of parasites at echocardiography, 6 (85.7%)
became negative by day 300. Treatment was well-tolerated by all dogs. These results
suggest that a combination of doxycycline and ivermectin is adulticide in dogs with
D. immitis.
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