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Ellen Yacobi
16 April 2017
Black and Tan shepherd mix is approximately 2 years old. The patient has been coughing
for about two weeks since arriving at the animal shelter. On exam, the patients vital signs are as
followed:
BCS: 2.5/5
Temp: 101.2F
CRT: 2 seconds
Follow a heartworm and fecal test, the patient is diagnosed with Heartworm disease,
mg/kg IM and given 24 hours apart. The injections are given in the epaxial muscles on either
side of the vertebral column in between the L3 and L5 vertebrae. The medication is injected deep
into the muscle with a small gauge needle to prevent any leakage (Romich, 2010). Following the
treatment, the patient will receive a microfilaricide drug to kill any microfilaria that appear in
circulation. Since melarsomine is an adulticide, this medication is use to kill the adult
heartworms that live in the heart and the microfilaricide will kill the baby heartworms before
the melarsomine is in a powder form that must be activated and prepared for injection. Once in
liquid form, the concentration is 25 mg/ml. The dosage for melarsomine is 2.5 mg/kg. The
patient will receive 3.95 ml per injection requiring at least 2 vitals per injection (total of 4 vials).
Along with the injections, the patient will be on prednisone 20 mg receiving 2 tablets every 24
hours for 3 days. The patient will be put on the steroid to help prevent any emboli, suppress the
immune system, and assist with any inflammation brought on by the injections and heartworms
dying.
Prior to undergo any heartworm treatment, the patient will receive an injection of
diphenhydramine. This is given preemptively to prevent any reactions from occurring during
combats allergic reactions. Heartworms can cause allergic reactions and increase eosinophils in
the blood. The diphenhydramine will help reduce the histamines and inflammation.
After the heartworm treatment is completed, the veterinarian recommended that the
patient be on restrict confinement and aspirin to help reduce the potential for any emboli. The
patient will receive the 81 mg tablets at tablet by mouth twice daily (1/2 tablet per day) for 6
to 8 weeks. The patient also received selamectin or Revolution topical following the completion
of the adulticide treatment. The selamectin will help with destroying any microfilaria and the
treatment of fleas (Romich. 2010). The owner should also consider putting all the dogs in her
kennel on a flea preventative as fleas are contagious and will multiple quickly. After discussing
flea treatment options with Mrs. Hansen, she asks what flea dirt is and how the dogs get it. Flea
dirt is actually flea feces and the dogs get it from the fleas living on the dogs. When you wet the
flea dirt it will actually turn red like the color of blood since that is what fleas eat. Mrs. Hanson
Ellen Yacobi 4
expressed concern about ticks and what she should do about them. If Mrs. Hanson is seeing ticks
on her dogs, it is recommended that she use a flea and tick product to kill both parasites. There
are some topical products that can get ticks but with advances it is recommended to use an oral
medication such as Bravecto or Nexguard. When treating the environment for fleas, the owner
can treat for ticks as well. But unfortunately, ticks are found in high areas and fall down to the
After explaining to Mrs. Hanson that her other dogs need to be on heartworm
test. But it will be explained to the owner that by law we cannot prescribe a medication without
that she reach out to her local shelter that she is rescuing these dogs from and ask them about
preventative medicine and medications. Local shelters should be able to help her.
Several days later, Mrs. Hanson brings in a new patient that potentially ingested
chlorpyrifos. Chlorpyrifos is the active ingredient in a flea dip she recently used on the patient.
The main ingredient is an organophosphate that inhibits essential enzymes in the body. It affects
the neurotransmitters and keeps them attached to the receptors. This leads to seizures, trimmers,
and shaking. Chlorpyrifos also causes salivation, lacrimation, urination, defecation, dyspnea, and
emesis which a common acronym associated with the class of the drug(The Free Dictionary,
2017).
Ellen Yacobi 5
Romich, J.A. (2010). Fundamentals of Pharmacology for Veterinary Technicians. Clifton Park,
NY:Delmar.
http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/SLUDDE