Wirral veterinary hospital on alert as deadly parasite kills dogs

Mar 18 2009


Heswall News



A
WIRRAL veterinary hospital is playing a critical role in investigations
into a parasite that killed five dogs across the country last summer.
Angiostrongylus vasorum was previously only found in the south of the country, particularly around Cornwall.
But
a report published by the University of Liverpool’s Small Animal
Teaching Hospital in Leahurst confirmed the worm was present in five
young, and previously healthy, dogs.
Leahurst discovered the
cluster of new cases in Liverpool, Greater Manchester and West
Midlands, after carrying out post-mortems.
Professor Sandy
Trees is professor of veterinary parasitology in the faculty of
Veterinary Science at the University of Liverpool.
He told the News: “It’s creeping up gradually further north.
“We now have new fatal cases in the north of England and it appears to be expanding its range in Britain.
“It’s one of the few worms that will kill dogs pretty quickly.”
Between
April 14 and September 30 last year, Leahurst confirmed the presence of
the parasite in five dogs aged under 35 months, but it is so aggressive
no examples have been found in living animals.
Prof Trees said: “We’ve had dogs being presented for the first time at surgery and dying within hours.
“We
can only speculate but the parasite does affect foxes so it is probable
they may be helping disseminate it through moving distances.
“It
depends on snails and slugs as an intermediate host, but it’s the
adult worms in dogs and foxes that are the main agent of
movement.”
Symptoms include respiratory problems, a disinclination to exercise and bleeding and bruising signs.
And although little can be done once the parasite has transmitted, preventative medication is available.
Wirral
vet Tim Mainland said: “Many pet owners routinely use
anti-parasitic products that don’t treat angiostrongylosis, so
specific advice will be needed to incorporate with that regime.”

http://www.wirralnews.co.uk/wirral-news/local-wirral-news/heswall-news/2009/03/18/wirral-veterinary-hospital-on-alert-as-deadly-parasite-kills-dogs-80491-23164099/

thats quite scary actually as we get foxes in the garden quite a lot

:2431: thanks shelley been thinking this thread was a pigment of my imagination

it is quite scary tho tbh

Its real My friends daughters dog had lung worm last year and was nearly pts The vet thought the dog had lung cancer but as she was only a young dog they did every test they could and discovered it was a serious case of lung worm :zas: They think she got it from eating slugs in the garden She is a staffie who was quite tubby before she got the lung worm and she lost about half her body weight It was touch and go for weeks but she pulled thru and is fine now :xze:

My dog trainer also brought the subject up and warned everyone not to let our dogs eat slugs :2431:

its scary isnt it... it seems like we are being warned about one thing after another.... how the heck can you stop your dog eating slugs, in the summer theyre everywhere???!!!!

dont remind me shelley them and fooking moths in the summer keep me indoors of an evening. i hate them so much

eughhhhh i dont like moths :nhy: :nhy: .... they scare the crap out of me!!.. slugs i can avoid.... but if i tread on one, i cringe for days after :2431:

Luckily I have never seen Keira eat a slug Seen her sniff one but never eat it

Apparently the lung worm is getting worse in this country but is still not that common thats why the vet didnt diagnose it straight away It was only the persistance of the owner asking for loads of tests that had to be sent to a specialist that saved the dog They dog had pneaumonia (probably spelt that wrong) and they were nearly sure it was cancer The vet advised pts as the dog was at deaths door

I didnt realise heart worm was in this country i know its common in america and warmer countrys Its is really scarey :qa1:

its very scary bren

:zas: The noise of standing on a snail makes me cringe :zas:

eugh, ive just curled me toes lol....