Lungworm In Dogs 

Lungworm is otherwise known as Angiostrongylus Vasorum is a parasite that can cause health problems in dogs, and if not treated in time can be fatal.

What Is Lungworm?

Lungworm is a nasty parasite that despite its name lives in the heart and blood vessels of infected animals. Here they lay eggs that get carried to lungs which can cause one of the typical clinical signs of coughing.

How Do Dogs Become Infected?

Dogs can be infected by eating either slugs, snails and even frogs which are infected with the lungworm larvae. This can either happen intentionally or accidentally by your dog eating grass or drinking from outdoor water bowls or puddles.

Even though lungworm is not passed directly from dog to dog, infected dogs are still a risk factor as they pass the lungworm larvae in their faeces.

Clinical Signs Of Lungworm

Clinical signs can vary, these include

• Coughing
• Clotting disorders (these include abnormal bleeding from the nose, in the urine/faeces or even from wounds)
• Lethargy
• Unexplained weight loss
• Changes in behaviour (i.e. exhaustion and depression)
• General Illness (i.e. vomiting and diarrhoea)

Please note that clinical signs of lungworm can vary and many of these clinical signs can also be caused by other conditions. If you have any worries please don’t hesitate to contact us on 01558 823377.

Diagnosis Of Lungworm

Diagnosing Lungworm can be very difficult to confirm. There are multiple diagnostic methods. The most common of which involves a blood sample to run on an in-house SNAP test. For more information please contact us on 01558 823377.

Treating Lungworm

The treatment of Lungworm is  reasonably simple. There are antiparasite (wormers) treatments available to treat and prevent lungworm. Please contact us to discuss further.

Preventing Lungworm

• Routine worming (anti parasite treatments) prevent lungworm. Contact us to discuss further treatment that is tailored to suit your dog.
• If you notice slugs or snails in your garden or Local Park, be careful to watch your dog when walking them in case of ingestion.
• Clean outdoor food bowls before each use and regularly clean outdoor water bowls.
• Always pick up and safely dispose of your dogs faeces.

As stated already Lungworm is a common parasite which if not treated can be  dangerous  to your dog, but please note that there are simple preventative measures and treatment when caught quickly is simple and effective.

If you have any worries about Lungworm in your dog please do not hesitate to contact us on 01558 823377 to discuss these further.