CLINICAL AND LABORATORY PARALLELS IN DOGS WITH DIROFILARIA IMMITIS INFESTATION

Abstract

The goal of the research was to identify clinical and laboratory diagnostic markers of D. immitis infestation in dogs in both winter and summer. Complex clinical and laboratory tests were carried out in 3 groups of dogs: Group 1 - control, Group 2 - dogs with asymptomatic dirofilariosis, Group 3 - dogs with moderately severe dirofilariosis. Elevated protein metabolism was detected at both amino-acid and protein level. Reliable increase in catalase activity was found which reduced intoxication implying mutual adaptation of the host organism and parasite, and reliable decline of average-weight molecules content in blood was detected. It was found out that leucocytic intoxication index calculation was required to determine basic trends in leucocyte number in case of dirofilariosis. The identified shifts may be used as additional criteria in clinical and laboratory diagnostics, assessment of the disease severity and prognosis.