UF veterinary student honored for research on heartworm in cats

University of Florida veterinary student Kiri Dunn received top honors for the best research poster presentation by a resident or student at the 13th Triennial Symposium of the American Heartworm Society, held April 16-17 in Memphis, Tenn.

Dunn’s research project, titled “Heartworm Testing, Treatment and Prevention Protocols for Cats in Animal Shelters,” was conducted last summer during a research fellowship with Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program at UF and the Merck Merial Scholars Program. Dunn is a junior student at UF’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

“Kiri’s research showed that animal shelters are struggling to meet the needs of cats in terms of heartworm prevention and diagnosis,” said Julie Levy, D.V.M., Ph.D., director of the shelter medicine program. “She found that although some shelter managers were confused about the risk of heartworm infections in cats, most wanted to do more, even though they felt constrained by the costs associated with meeting the guidelines recommended for pet cats.”

Levy added that Dunn’s research documented that there is a compelling need for humane agencies, veterinarians and industry representatives to work together to better meet the needs of the 3 million to 4 million cats that enter animal shelters each year.

Dunn’s classmate, Kathleen Colby, was also recognized for her outstanding research relating to canine protocols in animal shelters.