Diagnostic markers of clinical examination of dogs affected by dirofilariasis

The aim of the study is to develop diagnostic test cards for assessing the condition of animals with dirofilariasis. The clinical examination test cards for dogs included 19 indicators and 60 signs. The objects of the study were 12 dogs of different breeds and sex groups, aged from 3 to 12 years and weighing from 3.5 to 46 kg. All animals lived in the city of Khabarovsk next to their owners. During the initial examination of dogs, the following was revealed: 50.0 % of cases were in a forced lying position; 80.0 % – exhaustion; 80.0 % – increased abdominal volume. From the cardiovascular and respiratory systems of animals with dirofilariasis, the following was revealed: hypotension in 62.5 % of cases; tachycardia in 37.5 %, bradycardia in 12.5 % of cases; the heart beat was outside the 4–5 intercostal space in 80.0 % of animals; the heart beat was weak and split, muffled heart tone in 37.0 % of animals, doubled in 12.5 %; heart murmurs were revealed in 100,0% of cases; the degree of filling of the veins was more than 2 seconds in 70.0 % of cases. Wet cough was present in 100.0 % of cases; more than 28 respiratory movements per minute during deep sleep-in animals were in 100.0 % of cases; dyspnea was observed in 80.0 % of dogs. During the studies, the dominant clinical signs of canine dirofilariasis were established: exhaustion, abdominal type of breathing, rapid breathing, dyspnea, in most cases tachycardia, cough, during auscultation – detection of heart murmurs, splitting of the heart tone, which indicates chronic cardiovascular and respiratory failure with manifestation in most cases of hypertension.