Phase 2 of a groundbreaking study by John McCall, MS, PhD, demonstrates a great need to change the approach to fighting the rising incidence of heartworm infection in dogs. New data shows that blocking transmission from dogs to mosquitoes and from mosquitoes to dogs, using repellents/insecticides and macrocyclic lactone preventives are part of a multimodal approach. McCall’s Phase 2 findings included:
- The overall anti-feeding efficacy of Vectra 3D was 98.5 percent.
- No worms were found in the Vectra 3D and heartworm preventive treated group.
- The combination of Vectra 3D for mosquito control and a heartworm preventive had superior efficacy for protecting dogs against heartworm infection compared to a heartworm preventive alone in Phase 2 of the study.
Source: Ceva Animal Health, LLC, August 6, 2016.
The American Heartworm Society (AHS) stresses the importance to pet owners of giving a heartworm preventive year-round to prevent the serious and often deadly consequences of heartworm disease,” says Tom Nelson, AHS executive board member and co-author of the society’s guidelines for the prevention, diagnosis and management of heartworm infection. “The multimodal approach, like on the human side, is something we need to embrace more in veterinary medicine and we need to look at how we can decrease the exposure to the infection.”
INSIGHTS: Sales representatives and veterinary teams can use the shareable infographic that highlights the dangers of mosquitos and how the Double Defense Protocol can help protect dogs. It is provided here.