Retrospective analyses of heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) disease and ectoparasite preventive medication compliance in veterinary practices in the USA

Table 5 Retrospective analysis 2: Summary of monthly doses of flea and tick (FT) and heartworm (HW) preventive products dispensed over the 12-month observation period

Purchasing pattern cohorts	Patients	Number of monthly doses dispensed over the 12-month observation period
Purchasing pattern cohorts	Patients	FT doses	HW doses	FT + HW doses total	FT doses per dog	HW doses per dog
Dual-therapy practices
FT only	44,666	237,362	0	237,362	5.3	0.0
HW only	49,890	0	466,257	466,257	0.0	9.3
FT only + HW only	13,113	84,613	121,049	205,662	6.5	9.2
FT-HW pair	29,328	206,003	249,126	455,129	7.0	8.5
FT-HW pair + FT only	11,214	113,251	94,943	208,194	10.1	8.5
FT-HW pair + HW only	6745	37,704	80,363	118,067	5.6	11.9
FT-HW pair + FT only + HW only	5898	59,800	74,918	134,718	10.1	12.7
Total	160,854	738,733	1,086,656	1,825,389	4.4	6.8

Purchasing pattern cohorts	Patients	Number of monthly doses dispensed over the 12-month observation period
Purchasing pattern cohorts	Patients	FT doses	HW doses	FT + HW doses total	FT doses per dog	HW doses per dog
Combination-therapy practices
Combination-therapy TOTAL	85,800	614,262	614,262	614,262	7.2	7.2

Results were recorded separately for the purchase pattern cohorts as defined in Table 4 for dual-therapy practices (practices that sold FT products and HW preventives separately, i.e., did not use combination products) and for Simparica Trio^® (combination therapy). Annual doses per dog were calculated for each purchase pattern cohort and weighted average doses were calculated for dual-therapy and combination-therapy practices, considering the number of dogs in each purchasing pattern cohort

ISSN: 1756-3305