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Everything You Need to Know About Lungworm
With incidences of lungworm on the rise among dog owners across the UK, it’s becoming ever more important to protect your pet from the condition. But just how serious is lungworm, how can you tell if your dog has it, and what steps can you take to protect your four-legged friends?
In this article, we hope to answer all of those questions and more for our patients and their owners across the Beckenham area.
What is Lungworm?
Lungworm is a potentially fatal disease caused by parasitic worms getting in your dog’s bloodstream. The most common way that this occurs is by the dogs accidentally eating these worms in their larval stage. Lungworm larvae are typically found on snails, slugs, and frogs, any of which may occasionally be eaten by dogs.
Once ingested, the lungworm larvae grow inside the dog, migrating into their blood vessels and, ultimately, their hearts. In mild cases, the dogs will excrete the larvae before it has a chance to cause any major problems, though your dog may suffer slight heart problems, breathing problems, or even pneumonia. In more severe cases, the worms will start producing their own larvae in around 28 days. This can cause haemorrhages across the body, most commonly in the lungs, liver, intestine, eyes, and spinal cord. If left untreated, lungworm can be fatal.
Lungworm Symptoms
Symptoms of lungworm vary from case to case but often include the following:
- breathing problems
- coughing
- not wanting to exercise
- vomiting or diarrhoea
- loss of appetite
- weight loss
- small cuts take longer to heal
If your dog is exhibiting any of these symptoms, have them examined by a veterinary surgeon as soon as possible. The vet can run several tests to check for lungworm, including blood tests, checking their faeces, or performing an X-ray of their chest to spot any lung abnormalities.
Lungworm Treatment
Lungworm treatment is twofold. First, the vet needs to eliminate the parasite, which they do with various anti-parasitic medications such as ivermectin, fenbendazole, moxidectin, and milbemycin oxime. This will be prescribed over a course lasting from several weeks to several months, depending on the severity of the infection.
Towards the end of the treatment phase, your vet will look to reduce any internal inflammation in the heart and lungs. If caught early enough, with the right treatment, the prognosis for recovery is usually good.
Is Lungworm Common?
Lungworm is relatively common, with 1 in 5 vet practices across the UK reporting at least one instance of the disease over the last year. It also has a geographic risk, being more prevalent in the South of England and South Wales.
How to Prevent Lungworm
There are several steps you can take to limit your dog’s exposure to lungworm, such as keeping a sharp eye on them when they are around slugs, snails, or frogs and regularly changing the water in their outdoor drinking bowls, where such creatures might contaminate it.
There are also several worming treatments available that prevent infection from a number of parasites, including lungworm. If you’re worried about your dog contracting any of these diseases, speak to your vet about regular anti-parasite treatment.
A Guide to Lungworm: Final Thoughts
If you’re a dog owner in Beckenham and you believe your pet has a lungworm infection, don’t waste any time. Get in touch with Eden Park Veterinary Surgery today to book them in for an appointment. While lungworm is easily treatable, it’s essential that your pet gets the right attention as soon as possible. Call us on 0208 658 2300.
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