Heartworm Disease (D. immitis)

In this episode of Current Vet, Dr. Lottie talks about heartworm disease, caused by Dirofilaria immitis. She covers how these parasites infect and cause disease in the body, the different diagnostic tests available and what the recommended treatment protocol is. She also briefly talks about the fact that cats always present differently.

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Timeline:
00:00 Intro
01:17 Case
02:15 Aetiology & Pathogenesis
07:38 Clinical Signs
08:25 Diagnosis
11:43 Treatment
16:44 Prevention
19:53 Key Points
21:46 Outro

References

• Nelson, C.T. (2021) ‘111 - Heartworm and Related Nematodes’, in J.E. Sykes (ed.) Greene’s Infectious Diseases of the Dog and Cat (Fifth Edition). Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders, pp. 1399–1417. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-50934-3.00111-7.
• Delamarter, M. (2022) ‘Diagnosing and Treating Heartworm Infection in Dogs’, Today’s Veterinary Practice, 9 August. Available at: https://todaysveterinarypractice.com/parasitology/diagnosing-and-treating-heartworm-infection-in-dogs/(Accessed: 7 December 2024).
• American Heartworm Society. Available at: https://www.heartwormsociety.org/?tpg=anti-anxiety-pill-without-prescription&idn=b (Accessed: 4 December 2024).
• Atkinson, P.J. et al. (2023) ‘Relative diagnostic accuracy of point-of-care tests to rule-in Dirofilaria immitis infection in clinically suspect dogs: A systematic review and meta-analysis’, Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 217, p. 105970. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2023.105970.
• Ames, M.K. and Atkins, C.E. (2020) ‘Treatment of dogs with severe heartworm disease’, Veterinary Parasitology, 283, p. 109131. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2020.109131.
• Pietrzak, D., Łuczak, J.W. and Wiśniewski, M. (2024) ‘Detecting Dirofilaria immitis: Current Practices and Novel Diagnostic Methods’, Pathogens, 13(11), p. 950. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13110950.
• Matias, I.C. et al. (2024) ‘Dirofilaria Immitis in Domestic Cats (Felis Catus): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Global Status’. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5009253.

Current Vet is an educational podcast intended for veterinary students, veterinary professionals, and individuals with an interest in veterinary medicine.

All content provided in this podcast and its associated materials is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as, and must not be considered a substitute for, professional veterinary advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Any clinical cases discussed in this podcast are fictional, and are designed to reflect typical or likely clinical scenarios for educational purposes. They do not represent specific real-life cases, clients, or animals.

While every effort is made to ensure accuracy and alignment with current evidence at the time of publication, veterinary medicine is a rapidly evolving field, and recommendations may change over time.

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