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Lungworm- a spreading threat to our dogs I’ve recently been involved with a campaign that’s been launched to raise the awareness of lungworm in our dogs in Britain. Also called French heartworm, this disease has been around in some areas of Britain since the 1970s but in the past few years we have seen a steady and fairly rapid increase in the number of cases. Largely contained in Wales and the South to start with it has now made its way steadily into the whole country and as far as Scotland and is considered to be countrywide. I suppose it’s easy to be quite blasé about worms because we don’t really associate them with serious disease but this can and does kill dogs and needs to be taken seriously for sure. One of the difficulties with it is that, although, as the name suggests, it affects the lungs, it also causes a wide variety of other signs that can mimic other conditions and might not make you immediately think of a worm sitting in the lungs. Many cases do show signs of lethargy and coughing and not being able to exercise as much as normal but we also see uncontrollable bleeding due to clotting problems, behavioural changes, paralysis, vomiting and diarrhoea. Quite a list of possibilities which, as you can imagine, can pose a bit of a challenge to vets in finding and spotting the disease.
So how do dogs catch it and why the increase in cases? The worm, like many parasites, uses what is called an intermediate host to develop in and mature and to get into the species they’re really after. In the case of lungworm, or Angiostrongylus vasorum as it’s officially known, it’s caught when dogs eat slugs and snails. This might sound odd but many dogs, as we know, eat anything they find but lots of dogs can also become infected by accidentally eating slugs and snails. Pan and Badger graze like cows on the lovely spring grass and dogs eating grass or chewing toys or chews can easily take in a small slug or snail without even meaning to as could those whose bowls are left where slugs and snails might get in. Once in the dog the worms can travel through the body to the heart and then the lungs and it is this migrating and ending up in the lungs which causes all the problems I mentioned before. No one really knows why cases are on the rise but it’s probably a combination of things; dogs travel more now both within the country and abroad, warmer winters mean slugs and snails can survive and numbers increase and the appalling summers we’ve had recently have been perfect conditions for these slimy critters to really take hold. The good news in all this is that, especially when caught early, it is relatively easy to treat, depending on what damage or disease has already been started. The main thing we want people to realise is that most normal worming treatments won’t work for this parasite and certainly nothing you buy over the counter will be effective so please talk to your vet to make sure your dog isn’t at risk. It tends to be a disease we see in young dogs of under 3 years of age but any age and any breed can be affected so if you have any concerns talk to your vet. Lastly, don’t panic! It’s not raging like wild fire but in a recent survey only 6% of dog owners had heard of it and all we want to do is make you more aware of the existence of lungworm as growing concern because it can be so serious if missed. As with missing vaccinations, it would be tragic to lose your best furry friend to an avoidable disease. If you have any worries at all speak to your vet or for more information you can go to www.lungworm.co.uk.
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