With all the things to keep an eye on with your dog, their health and well-being will be high on any owner’s list. We all know that dogs love to explore but this can mean they expose themselves to many different types of dangers both at home and outside. One of the most serious health conditions you may have heard of is a lungworm infection, and if your dog ends up with them, it can cause serious health issues.
Naturally, you would want to avoid your four-legged companion from ever going near them, but it isn’t always easy. If it’s the first time you’ve heard of lungworm, below you’ll find a quick overview of the main details to know, along with the symptoms to look out for. Being aware of lungworm and how this can be problematic for your pup is important, but like with anything to do with your dog’s health, always speak to your vet if you notice anything unusual.
Should I Be Worried About Lungworm?
Being vigilant when it comes to what your dog may find when out in the garden or on walks is always important. There are many things they may eat or ingest that can cause them to be sick or potentially lead to fatal consequences. Lungworm is one of these types of hazards you’ll want your dog to avoid. According to a survey by animal health company Elanco, 30% of vets said they have seen at least 1 lungworm death in the last five years, whilst 79% of dog owners aren’t aware lungworm prevention should be given monthly.
So, how can your dog get lungworm?
Well, it’s a parasitic illness that comes from the larvae of lungworms and this can live in slugs and snails. As both of these can be found everywhere in the grass and bushes of UK gardens and public spaces, there is a chance your dog may find one and eat them.
The larvae when ingested can then live in your dog’s body and begin to develop further, causing various issues when getting into the bloodstream. It can also end up in the heart and lungs.
Whilst it can cause very serious health problems for your dog, the good news is that it is treatable if caught early. If the infection is allowed to spread and get worse, that’s when it can potentially be fatal.
Not only can both snails and slugs carry them, but they can also be found in frogs, whilst eating grass and drinking stagnant water can mean ingesting the larvae too. They can even attach to your dog’s fur, so when they groom themselves, they may accidentally ingest them.
What Are The Main Symptoms of Lungworm in Dogs?
Unfortunately, lungworm is becoming more common in the UK. As most owners know, dogs use their mouths to explore the environment around them as part of habituation, so it’s very difficult to stop them from doing so. If they do eat something they shouldn’t, you’ll want to act quickly.
Being able to spot the symptoms is crucial – it could save their life. However, as with many different types of poisoning in dogs, some symptoms can be similar to other things they may have eaten. This is why if you spot anything unusual you should speak to your vet immediately. Here are some of the symptoms they may show if infected, depending on how serious this has got:
- Breathing difficulties
- Coughing
- Inflammation
- Heavy bleeding
- Weight loss or lack of appetite
- Lethargy
If symptoms are left to develop further it can lead to organ failure, pneumonia and heart problems. Some of these symptoms will be worrying if your dog does show them. An emergency trip to the vet will be needed to ensure they can get the help they need quickly.
How Can My Vet Tell It Is Lungworm?
If you’ve seen your dog eat a snail, slug or ingested larvae, telling your vet this is important. However, it may not always be obvious this has happened until you see symptoms. Either way, your vet will carry out a full examination and ask you to explain what happened and what symptoms you’ve seen. They may need to run a blood test and also take a stool sample. In some cases, an X-ray will be necessary to investigate further.
If they are certain it is a lungworm infection, your vet will explain the treatment options available. This will depend on the severity of the infection, but hopefully if caught early it may just require medication like deworming tablets to kill the worm. If much more serious, they will need to keep them in and run further tests. This can include giving them oxygen, putting them on a fluid drip and even a blood transfusion if blood loss has been experienced.
It’s important not to self-diagnose a problem your dog has or wait for worse symptoms to show before taking them to the vet. Time is of the essence in this particular situation, so it is best not to wait.
What Preventative Measures Are There?
Usually, the best thing to do is a combination of vigilance and routine medication. This is where the importance of regular deworming tablets can be the best defence.
You should speak to your vet as early as possible into dog ownership to understand how often this is needed. Usually, it will be every two weeks until they are 12 weeks old, monthly up to 6 months old, then every 3 months in adult dogs. This will be advised by your vet, and you’ll need to ensure the tablets also provide protection against lungworm.
As well as a deworming schedule, you should continue to look out for your dog and do simple things such as regularly cleaning their water and food bowls, not leaving anything like toys and other items they pick up outside overnight, and cleaning poo from the garden and when on walks straight away. You may also want to keep them on a lead when out for a walk to prevent them from foraging in bushes and woodland.
Help Your Dog Avoid A Nasty Lungworm Infection
If you weren’t aware of the dangers of lungworm for your dog before, you certainly will be now, but the important thing is to not worry. If your dog is on a regular course of deworming treatment that also covers lungworm this will help, whilst keeping an eye on what they do find when outside is important.
If you are concerned about your dog catching lungworm and want to find out more about preventative measures, do speak to your vet. Whilst common, it can be treated early and your dog, in most cases, will make a full recovery.