Dr. Ela Misuno
Dr. Ela Misuno is Senior Associate Director of Veterinary Technical Marketing for Pets Parasitology at Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA, where she leads the technical strategy for the companion animal parasiticides franchise, including medical education, key opinion leader engagement, and post-marketing research.
Dr. Misuno earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Warsaw University of Life Sciences in 2007. Following an internship in Poland, she practiced equine and small animal medicine in Denmark before completing a residency in large animal internal medicine at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, together with a Master of Veterinary Science with a thesis in equine parasitology. She is a board-certified Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Large Animal).
Her animal health industry career spans Canada, global headquarters in Germany, and the United States. She served as global technical lead for several first-in-class launches, including the first approved veterinary allogeneic stem cell therapies and the first approved inhalation treatment for severe equine asthma. Dr. Misuno is a frequent speaker at international veterinary congresses, and her professional interests include small animal and equine parasitology, veterinary orthobiologics, and equine asthma.
Talks at SVMA 2027
Feline Heartworm Disease
This course will briefly review the etiology of feline heartworm disease caused by Dirofilaria immitis, with prevalence discussed using information from the American Heartworm Society. The pathogenesis discussion will cover the Dirofilaria immitis life cycle, highlighting differences between dogs and cats and the differences between canine and feline heartworm disease.
Heartworm Associated Respiratory Disease (HARD) in cats will be explained in two phases: 1) the arrival of immature worms in the pulmonary arterial vessels and 2) the death of adult heartworms.
The program will review the different testing options for the presence of heartworms in cats, along with a brief list of differential diagnoses. Management of feline heartworm disease will be discussed in terms of treating symptoms. Due to the limited treatment and management options for cats with heartworm disease, prevention will be highlighted, including prevention recommendations from the American Heartworm Society.
- Review the etiology and prevalence of feline heartworm disease.
- Understand the differences between canine and feline heartworm disease.
- Review the pathogenesis of HARD in cats.
- Review testing options and understand the limitations of heartworm testing in cats.
- Understand management of symptoms in cats with heartworm disease.
- Understand the importance of prevention of heartworm disease in cats.