www.lungworm.co.uk
The Lungworm Angiostrongylus vasorum (also known as French Heartworm) is a parasite that infects dogs. The adult of this particular lungworm lives in the heart and major blood vessels supplying the lungs, where it can cause a host of problems. Left untreated, the infection can often be fatal.
The lungworm parasite is carried by slugs and snails. The problem arises when dogs purposefully or accidentally eat these common garden pests (slugs and snails) when rummaging through undergrowth, eating grass, drinking from puddles or outdoor water bowls, or pick them up from their toys.
Foxes can also become infected with the lungworm, and have been implicated in the spread of the parasite across the country.
There are two main problems caused by dogs becoming infected with lungworm:
- Infection with lungworm can cause serious health problems in dogs, and is often fatal if not diagnosed and treated.
- Dogs infected with lungworm spread the parasite into the environment, as the larvae of the parasite are expelled in the dog’s faeces. This increases the chances of other dogs becoming infected.
Treatment
Using ADVOCATE spot on monthly is the only licensed medication to PREVENT lungworm.
(In order to receive advocate your dog must be seen regularly at our practice. If your dog is healthy and you require advocate we may ask you to make an appointment for a free flea check as advocate is a prescription only medicine).
Advocate Kills and Prevents
A) Fleas and flea larvae
B) Worms (excluding tapeworms)
C) Mites (scabies is transmitted by foxes)
Our recommendation is that you use advocate monthly for the prevention of fleas, lungworm and most other worms and additonally use DRONCIT (1 tablet per 10kg bodyweight) ever 3 months to prevent tapeworms (tapeworms are present in fox feces, mice and hares/rabbits which too can be dangerous to humans and dogs/cats).
