ABSTRACT
Treatment of canine dirofilariasis should be viewed as a five-step process. First, the animal is thoroughly examined and evaluated prior to treatment. Second, supportive or symptomatic therapy is implemented as necessary before, during, and after adulticidal therapy. Third, adulticidal treatment, fourth microfilaricidal treatment are administered. Finally, the animal is started on prophylactic medication. Otto and Maren proposed that thiacetarsamide be used in the treatment of dirofilariasis after having discovered it in a search for drugs active against human filariae during World War II; the work being performed used Dirofilaria immitis in dogs as the model. Routine use of prednisolone after thiacetarsamide therapy in all dogs, regardless of the presence or absence of clinical signs of embolism, does not appear to be justified, although aspirin therapy during this time should help all but those patients with hemoptysis. It may be necessary to pretreat dogs with prednisolone if they have immune-mediated occult disease and are showing clinical signs of immune-mediated pneumonitis.
