• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.207-211
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• 2019

This study was performed to compare the radiographic and echocardiographic features of cardiovascular changes between small and large dogs with heartworm diseases. Total of 49 dogs from two institutions were included in this study. The dogs were diagnosed with heartworm infestation and underwent thoracic and echocardiography. On thoracic radiographs, vertebral heart scale, reverse D shape, main pulmonary artery dilation, peripheral pulmonary artery dilation, and evidence of right heart failure were evaluated. On echocardiographs, visibility of worms, main pulmonary artery to aortic root (MPA/Ao) ratio, right to left ventricular basal diameter (RVD/LVD) ratio, and pulmonary hypertension were evaluated and analyzed between small and large dogs. The proportion of reverse D shape of the heart and accuracy for right ventricular hypertrophy in small dogs were lower than those of the large dogs. For echocardiographic parameter, the MPA/Ao and RVD/LVD ratio in the small dogs were significantly lower than those of the large dogs. As the results, thoracic radiography have a tendency to underestimate the severity of HWD in small dogs and should be used with echocardiography.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.412-416
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• 2014

A 7-year-old intact male Pitbull terrier dog was presented with complaints of marked abdominal distension and severe exercise intolerance. Diagnostic studies found a right-sided cardiomegaly with marked dilation of pulmonary arteries, diffuse interstitial pulmonary infiltration and heavy worm burden in the right atrium and ventricle. Color and spectral Doppler echocardiography also revealed tricuspid and pulmonic regurgitation indicating severe pulmonary hypertension. The 104 heartworms were removed by interventional extraction using a loop snare (Snare, Boston Scientific, USA) through external jugular vein. After heartworm removals, the clinical condition of this dog was remarkably improved. To author's best knowledge, this is the first case of interventional heartworm extraction using a loop snare in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.157-165
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• 2010

A survey of canine heartworm infections among 83 dogs (Male 42, Female 41) of pet dogs in Ulsan area was performed from March to July 2009 using antigen test. Of 83 dogs, 6 dogs (7.2%) were infected with the Dirofilaria immitis, and 5 dogs (6%) were detected to have microfilaria in the peripheral blood. The infection according to the age of 4~5, 6~7, 7 over years were 7.4%, 12.5%, and 10.5%, Also, A survey of canine heartworm infections among 23 dogs (Male 15, Female 8) of hunting dogs in Ulsan area was performed from July 2008 using antigen test. Of 23 dogs, 11 dogs (47.8%) were infected with the D. immitis, and 6 dogs (26.1%) were detected to have microfilaria in the peripheral blood. The infection according to the age of under 1, 2-3, 4-5, 6-7 over years were 12.5%, 40%, 85.7% and 66.7%, respectively.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.171-173
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• 2008

A 3-yr-old female mongrel dog was referred to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of Chungnam National University in the Republic of Korea. An adult heartworm, Dirofilaria immitis, was found in the abdominal cavity of the dog during spaying. Dirofilariasis in this dog was also diagnosed by modified Knott's test, ELISA test, and PCR analysis. The present case is the first report on the migration of an adult dog heartworm to the abdominal cavity of a dog in the Republic of Korea.

• Journal of the korean veterinary medical association
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• v.38 no.10
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• pp.886-891
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• 2002

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.19-26
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• 2003

This study was attempted to survey on the prevalence of canine heartworm(Dirofilaria immitis) infection among 100 dogs(male 39, female 61) on the nine breeding farms in eastern Chungnam province in December 2002. Blood samples taken from dogs were examined for the presence of D immitis microfilaria by the modified Knott's test and an antigen test was using FASTest$\^$/ HW Antigne kit (Mega Cor A-6912 Horbranz-Austraia). 1. Eleven(11.0%) of the 100 examined dogs were microfilaria positive, while nineteen dogs(19.0%) were antigen positive, which suggested that the antigen test was more sensitive than the microfilarial test in detecting heartworm infection. 2. Infected dogs were observed higher more at 2 years older ages(4/48, 8.3%) and male(9/39, 23.1%) than young ages(4/48, 8.3%) and female(10/61, 16.4%). 3. The regional infection rates were of Gongju(15/43, 34.9%), Geumsan(4.27, 14.8%), while none of infection dogs in Yeongi(0/30, 0%). 4. Survey for hematological values of D immitis infected dogs : WBC and eosinophils were 21.4${\pm}$7.2 k/${\mu}\ell$, 3.5${\pm}$0.4 k/${\mu}\ell$, respectively. In conculsion, this study could be overemphasized the importance of control program the heartworm in eastern Chungnam province

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.453-455
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• 2013

Heartworm infection is a fatal disease causing heart failure and pulmonary diseases in dogs. This heartworm infection can also occur in wild carnivores including Raccoon dogs. Recent study found that relatively high prevalence rate in wild Raccoon dog population. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate the prevalence rate of D. immitis in free-roaming Raccoon dogs and the recovery rate of microfilariae in infected Raccoon dogs in Korea. Overall prevalence rate of D. immitis in Korean Raccoon dogs was 17.8%. Prevalence rate in male Raccoon dogs was 21.8%, while that in female Raccoon dogs was 12.8%. Microfilariae were not detected in 17 Raccoon dogs having positive in heartworm antigen test. Our study result suggested that the prevalence rate of D. immitis in Korea is twice higher than that of Japan. In addition, microfilaremia is rare in Raccoon dogs as commonly noticed in cats.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.595-597
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• 2011

A 5-year-old, intact male Beagle was presented with chronic abdominal pain. The dog was diagnosed with dirofilariasis by positive heartworm antigen detection via ELISA and concurrent microfilaria. Thoracic radiographs revealed cardiomegaly with dilation of the main pulmonary artery. Echocardiography revealed the adult worms in the main pulmonary arteries, but other abnormalities other than heartworm infection were not present. To find the cause of the abdominal pain, exploratory laparoscopy was performed. Ectopic migrating adult heart worms were visualized through exploratory laparoscopy and the clinical sign resolved after removing the heart worm. This report describes removing the ectopic migrating adult heartworms using exploratory laparoscopy in the abdominal cavity.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.369-375
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• 2009

This study was attempted to survey the prevalence of heartworm infection among 253 dogs (male 167, female 86) on the 16 breeding farms in southern Gyeongnam area in May to December 2007. The results obtained from this experiment were summarized as follows; Fifty seven (22.5%) of the 253 examined dogs were heartworms-antigen positive, while twenty five dogs were Microfilaria positive by the modified Knott's method. The regional infection rates were of 25% in Tongyeong and 21% in Goseong, and on the breeding environment aspects, infection rates were lower in rural area than urban area farms. The infection rates were higher in female (26/86, 30.2%) than male dog (31/167, 18.6%). The infection rates by breeding size of farms were 31% (11/35) at <20 head, 26%(35/135) at 20~50 head and 13% (11/82) at >50 head. The infection rates of heartworm in examined dogs at the age of <2, 2~4 and >5 were 10.7% (8/75), 26% (40/154) and 37.5% (9/24), respectively. In the microfillaria-infected 25 dogs, identified Dirofilaria immitis of 21 (84%) using PCR. The dogs infected with heartworm showed the increased number of eosinophil.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2017

Heartworm disease (HWD) in dogs is a life-threatening mosquito-borne disease resulting in right-sided congestive heart failure and inflammatory pulmonary disease. Due to complications from adulticidal therapy with melarsomine, slow kill protocol either with preventive dose of ivermectin or combined with doxycycline has been proposed for an alternative adultcidal therapy in dogs with HWD. Therefore, this study evaluated the clinical outcome of adultcidal therapy in dogs with class II stage of HWD after treating either American Heartworm Society (AHS) or slow kill protocol for 10 months. Clinical outcome after therapy was evaluated by clinical, radiographic and echocardiographic examination along with hematology before (D0) and after therapy (D300). Although clinical signs associated with HWD were all resolved after therapy in both groups, the infection was not cleared out 67% of dogs treated by slow kill protocol at the end of therapy. Furthermore, pulmonary arterial flow of acceleration time to ejection time ratio (AT/ET) and the right pulmonary artery distensibility index (RPADI) have been firstly used for detecting pulmonary hypertension in this study group. The pulmonary hypertension was more common in dogs with mild clinical signs, although tricuspid and pulmonary regurgitation were not detectable in most dogs in this study. Our study findings suggested that the slow kill protocol might not be efficacious enough to clear out HWD in dogs and more attention on the presence of pulmonary hypertension might be necessary for effective management of HWD in dogs.