How to prevent and treat canine cardiofilariasis?

Canine filariasis, also known as canine hemofilariasis or canine filariasis, is caused by canine filariasis parasitizing the right ventricle and pulmonary artery of dogs. The main clinical manifestations are circulatory disorder, dyspnea and anemia. This disease is very common, and it is more common in the south than in the north.

Canine filariasis is a yellow and white pigment filamentous worm with strips that are constantly wound into balls. The male worm is 12 ~ 18 cm long, and its tail circles several times. The female is 25 ~ 30 cm long and has a straight tail. The female is viviparous, and the larvae directly produced are called microfilaria. Microfilaria squirms like a snake in the dog's blood. Canine filariasis needs to be transmitted by intermediate host mosquitoes. Therefore, the occurrence of the disease has obvious regional and seasonal characteristics, and it is more common in mosquito breeding areas and June ~1October when mosquitoes are most active.

The symptoms of infection are not obvious at the initial stage, and cough, fatigue, loss of appetite, rough coat, emaciation, anemia, itching, hair loss, nodular dermatosis and so on may appear at the later stage. With the development of the disease, the sick dog has valvular heart disease, weak and intermittent pulse, heart murmur, hepatomegaly and tenderness, pleural effusion, systemic edema, dyspnea and even death in severe cases.

The diagnosis of this disease can be based on the onset season and clinical symptoms, and can also be confirmed by taking blood for microfilaria examination. The method is to take a drop of peripheral blood, put it on a glass slide, add a small amount of normal saline to dilute it, then cover it and examine it at low magnification. If microfilaria exists, it can be seen swimming in the blood. It is also advisable to add 5 ml of 7% acetic acid solution or 1% hydrochloric acid solution to 1 ml blood, centrifuge for 2 ~ 3 minutes, pour off the supernatant, and take the precipitate for objective examination. The detection rate of microfilaria is usually higher in spring and summer, and it is higher at night than during the day. In addition, serological methods can also be used for specific diagnosis. A large number of filariasis can be detected in the right heart and pulmonary artery after the death of sick dogs.

Besides symptomatic treatment, the disease can also be treated with the following drugs: Ethazine 1 0 ~ 20 mg/kg, taken orally, 1 time a day, for a total of1week, which can kill both adult filariasis and microfilaria. Potassium antimony tartrate 2 ~ 4 mg/kg, dissolved in physiological saline, intravenous injection, 65438 0 times a day, 3 times effective. Other drugs that are effective for adults are sodium sulfate, ivermectin, dichloroarsine hydrochloride and phenazone. Among them, Bofen and dithizone are effective in killing microfilaria.

When using the above drugs, dead insects blocking the pulmonary artery can lead to dog failure and even death, so it should be used with caution. In recent years, foreign countries have mostly used surgical methods to remove worms in pulmonary artery and right ventricle.

Do a good job in environmental sanitation and eliminate mosquito breeding grounds. In the epidemic season (May ~ 65438+1October), giving Haiqunsheng (5 mg/kg) or levamisole (2.5 mg/kg) for several days or every other day has certain preventive effect.