Once only seen in a few selected areas of England, 'Lung Worm' is a condition that is becoming increasingly common in Scotland.
There are 2 separate types of lung worm seen in the UK.
- The first is Oslerus osleri. This is a lung worm that is picked up from other dogs faeces or can be transfered in saliva. It is easily transferred from a bitch to her pups in this manner. It is most commonly seen in dogs under 2 years old.
- The second type of lungworm is Angiostrongylus vasorum, or 'French heartworm' as it is also known. This lungworm is potentially much more serious, especially if left untreated. This worm can be picked up almost anywhere, and by any age of dog. It spends part of it's life cycle in slugs and snails, and juvenile worms are excreted in the slime trails and froth balls left behind by them in the garden. This means that picking up toys that have been left in the garden, playing with sticks, eating grass and even drinking out of puddles could potentially infect your dog.
A. vasorum poses the most significant risk to dogs in this country. Foxes are their natural host, but dogs can easily pick up the infection. After the eggs are ingested by a slug or snail, they mature into a juvenile form. These juvenile worms released by the snails and then ingested by the dog. The worms go through a variety of different phases in the dog/fox, and eventually the adult worms lodge in one of the blood vessels of the heart. They release eggs which move to the lungs and mature in small nodules that form in the dogs airway. Eventually these nodules burst releasing the first young stages of the worm.
The irritation of the nodules rupturing and the tiny young larvae stimulate the dog to cough. When they are coughed up, the dog swallows them and they pass out of the gastrointestinal tract in the faeces.
From here they can be taken up by a slug or snail and the whole cycle can begin again, so now there is another reason to always pick up after your dog!
For most animals with this condition, all that happens is that they develop a dry hacking cough. However in severe cases, this condition can be more life threatening, causing bleeding and blood clotting problems, breathlessness and sometimes (in extreme cases) collapse and heart failure.
The good news is that there are a wide variety of prescription wormers available that can prevent this condition, and ways in which early cases can be easily treated.
If your dog has a habit of chewing sticks, drinking from puddles and eating grass etc, it is often recommended to treat then with an approved wormer once monthly to prevent them being affected. This is only usually required over the slug/snail season from March to October, although sometimes a longer course is required if the winter is particularly mild.
If a dog is confirmed or suspected of having lung worm, then a weeks course of treatment with a special liquid wormer can be all that is required to get them back to being fighting fit again.
If you are concerned that your pet has developed a cough, or want any more information on the products available for treating and controlling lung worm, please contact the clinic for more information
