Protect Your Dog From Lungworm

What is Lungworm?

Lungworm is a parasite that can be fatal to dogs if not treated promptly. Slugs and Snails are carriers of the parasite, and many dogs eat these molluscs, whether or not they mean to. Infections of Lungworm present themselves in a number of symptoms, such as breathing problems, coughing, excessive bleeding, nose bleeds, weight loss, poor appetite, vomiting, diarrhoea and even changes in behaviour such as lethargy and depression.

Many dogs eat the slugs or slime by accident, when playing in foliage or sniffing around wet areas. They in turn spread the disease through their faeces, which is eaten by slugs and foxes, and spread further. The worms live in the heart and blood vessels that supply to the lungs in dogs and foxes. At one point Lungworm was a fairly rare disease, but it is becoming more common across the UK. It’s still more common in the South of the UK.

What can you do?

If you notice your dog eating snails or slugs, check with your vet to create a preventative programme, and to get your dog tested. If your dog is diagnosed, treatment is very simple and most dogs make a full recovery. Some easy prevention tips include regularly cleaning water bowls, picking up the poo, having your dogs tested regularly if they spend much time with other dogs, and picking up any toys left in the gardens overnight.

The main thing is to be proactive, and not to be afraid to check in with your vet if you have any concerns. It is possible to integrate Lungworm treatment into your worming routine, if your dog is especially at risk.

Is Lungworm near me?

There is a handy map you can check to see all the instances of reported cases in your area. It’s not exhaustive however, as many cases go unreported. You can find it here.

The main danger of lungworm is that many people are simply not aware it exists or what is wrong with their dogs – always keep an eye on them, spread the word, and keep in contact with your local vet surgery. None of this information is a replacement for a veterinarians knowledge!

Final note – it’s interesting that Bayer is deciding to spread most of this information, considering they still test on Animals. A fairly hypocritical viewpoint if you ask me. For full disclosure, their policy on animal testing is linked here.