Heartworm Disease in Canines
Date
2022-05
Authors
Wilson, Andrea
Major Professor
Kimber, Michael
Advisor
Committee Member
Robertson, Alan
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Abstract
Canines have been domesticated for thousands of years, with their original primary purpose of serving the family’s needs. Dogs more recently have been considered to be “man’s best friend” and another member of the family. There are more than 70 million domesticated canines in the United States alone. With this change in attitude towards canines, healthcare towards them has also changed. Pet owners are willing to do much more for their furry friends’ well-being. This includes but is not limited to yearly check-ups, flea and tick preventatives, surgeries, grooming, exotic diets, etc. However, with any living organism, there are certain viruses, diseases, and pathogens that attempt to disrupt their homeostasis. Hundreds of diseases can impact a canine’s health.
The present paper aims to educate interested individuals about the detrimental disease that can affect our four-legged companions, titled Heartworm disease. As the name suggests, this disease affects the heart of infected canines. This paper will have a thorough completion of background knowledge given on the disease, including taxonomy and morphology. Other important information describes the transmission, primary vectors, symptoms, epidemiology, and diagnostic tools associated with Heartworm disease. Resistance has become a viable possibility with current heartworm preventatives. Further studies have been conducted to discover alternative preventatives or novel anthelmintics. Cyclooctadepsipeptide and amino-acetonitrile derivatives are currently being studied for their potential effectiveness against heartworm nematodes. Heartworm disease is not going away, so further studies need to be completed in order to get ahead of this devastating disease threatening our canine friends.
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2022