Blood backs up in the liver and other parts of the body, causing general congestion and degeneration. Dogs fatigue easily, cough, and appear unthrifty. Based on a survey of 37,000 asymptomatic dogs living in California, Theis has correlated infection with living in geographical areas with an elevation of 152-1,000 meters and a 30 year mean annual rainfall of 65 cm or more. Management Prevention by drug therapy. Daily oral administration of diethylcarbamazine or monthly administration of Ivermectin.
Diagnosis is by finding of microfilariae in the blood.
This is the most important filarioid parasite of domestic animals in North America. Characteristics Adults are long, white, thread-like worms. Males measure 12 to 16 cm long with the tail spirally coiled. It bears narrow alae and three pairs of large caudal papillae, one of which is postanal and three pairs of small ones near the tip of the tail. The left spicule is 324 to 375 um long and the right 90 to 229 um.