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Old 10-15-2010, 12:13 AM   #1
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Exclamation WARNING: Lung worm

A few days ago Poppy ate a slug from the garden, I was then told by another member (furbutt) that slugs ans snails carry lung worm and can infect cats and dogs who eat them.
I had never heard of lung worm before, with the wetter weather coming slugs and snails will be more common in our gardens and I feel this is something we need to warn owners about.
I have gathered some information on lung worm below for you:




What is lung worm?
Lungworms are parasiticnematode worms of the order Strongylida that infest the lungs of vertebrates. The name is used for a variety of different groups of nematodes, some of which also have other common names; what they have in common is that they migrate to their hosts' lungs or respiratory tracts, and cause bronchitis or pneumonia. The lungworm will gradually damage the airways or lung tissue by inciting an inflammatory reaction inside the tissue. Ultimately, the parasites survives and reproduce in the respiratory tissues. The category is thus more a descriptive than a precisely taxonomic one. The most common lungworms belong to one of two groups, the superfamily Trichostrongyloidea or the superfamily Metastrongyloidea, but not all the species in these superfamilies are lungworms.
The lungworms in the superfamily Trichostrongyloidea include several species in the genus Dictyocaulus which infest hoofed animals, including most common domestic species. Different species are found in cattle and deer (D. viviparus), donkeys and horses (D. arnfeldi), and sheep and goats (D. filaria). These animals have direct life-cycles. The lungworms in the superfamily Metastrongyloidea include species that infest a wider range of mammals, including sheep, goats and pigs but also cats and dogs. These include Metastrongylus apri, found in pigs; Oslerus osleri found in dogs; and Aelurostrongylus abstrusus found in cats. Some of these have indirect, and complex, life-cycles; several of them involve slugs or snails as intermediate hosts, where the habit of sniffing at slug trails, or even licking them, causes the parasite egg to enter the dog's respiratory tract. In the case of A. abstrusus the cat is normally infected by eating a bird or rodent that has itself eaten the original host.


Life cycle
The general life cycle of a lungworm begins with an ingestion of infected larvae. The infected larvae then penetrate the intestinal wall where larvae migrate into the lungs through the bloodstream. The infected larvae reside in the lungs until the development into adult larvae. The eggs of the adult larvae hatch thus producing lungworm. These eggs that reside in the lungs are coughed up and then ingested back into the stomach and then into feces. A detailed diagram of a lungworm lifecycle is shown at: Lung Worms-Encylopedic Reference of Parasitology.


Symptoms
The most common symptom is coughing and other typical symptoms are wheezing and weight loss. These symptoms are caused by larvae that reside in the lungs where immunity develops and the accumulation of mucus cause blockage of the airway into the lungs.


Diagnosis
If an animal is suspected of lungworm infection, there are many ways to detect this parasitic infection such as performing one or more of the following techniques: a complete medical history including lung auscultation (stethoscope examination), doing a chest xray, examination of fecal examination for detection of ova or larvae, examination of respiratory secretions for ova or larvae, and/or a complete blood count (CBC) to check for signs of increase in eosinophils.


Treatment
Lungworm infestations can cause significant distress to the animal but are usually treatable with drugs. Oxibendazole is commonly used as a prophylactic against these and other nematode infestations.
If infected with lungworm parasite, an anti-parasite drug must be administered.
In the case of a severe reaction, an anti-inflammatory drug of corticosteroids may be given for a brief period (3 to 10 days).
To treat tissue inflammation, Prednisone is usually given (5–10 days). However, there are some side effects such as increased urination or appetite.
The drug fenbendazole is usually administer to kill the parasite. It is very safe and does not harm the animal.
There are several different Lungworm parasites that have been identified. Although they all originate from the lungworm parasite, they are treated somewhat differently and requires a combination of various drugs to treat the parasite:
Aelurostrongylus abstrusus Treatment Take Fenbendazole (Panacur) for 10 days and Ivermectin for 3 days to 5 days.
Paragonimus kellicotti Treatment Take Fenbendazole (Panacur) for 10 days, Praziquantel (Droncit) every 8 hours for 2 days, Albendazole every 12 hours for 10 to 20 days, and then Ivermectin two treatments, 2 weeks apart
Capillaria aerophilia Treatment Take Fenbendazole (Panacur) for 10 days , Albendazole for 10 to 20 days, and Ivermectin one or two doses.



11111.jpgimages.jpglungworm_aware_logo_s.gifthumb_300_70_angiostrongylus_200x_dup27p.jpg
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Old 10-15-2010, 12:17 AM   #2
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Prevention
An effective way to minimize the risk of spreading this disesase is to control the roaming and hunting of cats allowed outdoors.
It is very important to administer all veterinary prescribed medication and contact your veterinarian of any problems.
Repeat chest X-rays in 2 and 4 weeks after treatment. Also, recheck a fecal sample to monitor for the presence of larvae or ova in 2 to 4 weeks. This will confirm if the parasite is still living inside the respiratory tissue.

What else can I do?
Your veterinary surgeon can recommend a parasite control programme that takes into account the risk of your dog becoming infected with lungworm.
If your dog eats slugs or snails, but is not showing any symptoms, arrange a check up with your veterinary surgeon as a precaution.
If your dog has had lungworm your vet may recommend regular check ups to allow early detection if your dog becomes re infected.
If you own a number of dogs and one becomes infected, make your veterinary surgeon aware as he or she may want to examine other dogs which share its environment.
In line with preventing worm infestations in your pets and family (the lungworm Angiostrongylus vasorum does not infect humans), keep your garden and surrounding areas as free as possible from dog mess.

If you are concerned your dog has picked up, or is at risk from, picking up a lungworm infection, speak to your veterinary surgeon without delay!
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Old 10-15-2010, 02:38 AM   #3
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Rachael, did you talk with your vet about this? Poor little Poppy has been through so much lately, I hope she won't have this problem now!
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Old 10-15-2010, 02:46 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by boopster View Post
Rachael, did you talk with your vet about this? Poor little Poppy has been through so much lately, I hope she won't have this problem now!
Yes I called my vet this morning and told him Poppy may have eaten a slug.
He said that there is every chance she could have the lung worm parasite and said there is a tablet to treat it.
The tablet comes in one size which is for 10kg dogs so I have to give her 1/4 of the tablet, he said after the tablet she shouldnt need any more treatment.
He has the tablet at the surgery now so I am picking it up tonight.
I am also looking into getting a pet friendly product to kill the slugs and snails in the garden, until then she will be wearing a leash when she goes potty in the garden so I can keep an eye on her.
Thanks for the concern.
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Old 10-15-2010, 03:29 AM   #5
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Thank you so much for posting this....I'm so gratefull when other members post this kind of info
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Old 10-15-2010, 04:02 AM   #6
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Oh my goodness. I've never heard of this. Thank you for posting. I hope Poppy is going to be ok.
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Old 10-15-2010, 05:34 AM   #7
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Wow, I have never heard of this. Thanks so much for all the detailed information. Also thanks to furbutt for giving you a heads-up. I sure hope that poppy is doing better with the medicine. The things we don't know about our environment ......
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Old 10-15-2010, 05:43 AM   #8
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Thanks for your concerns on little Poppy, the vet said she should be fine after she has her tablet tonight.
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Old 10-15-2010, 05:48 AM   #9
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Wow, I've never heard of this. We only have the occasional slug show up around the house but we do have them. Thanks for posting!
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Old 10-15-2010, 06:03 AM   #10
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The scariest thing is that Poppy has shown no signs of being unwell at all.
I know it was only 2 days ago and that if she has caught lung worm the worms probably wont have hatched yet but its best to treat these things quickly.
Especially as it can be fatal!
Hopefully admin will make this into a sticky or something for other members.
If it wasnt for Furbutt I would have known nothing about this and Poppy could have gotten seriously ill, so thank you Natasha!!
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Old 10-15-2010, 06:36 AM   #11
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Animal Smiley 019 Thanks so much

for posting this. Nicky has eaten slugs in the past but nothing happened. Nini doesn't consider a slug desirable, but sometimes she will do what her brother's doing just because. So it makes me wonder if she had a taste because she has been coughing and wheezing (so has Nicky--a bit). I thought it was a cold she caught at the park on Sunday She also felt warm on Wednesday, but today she looks better. Her appetite is normal, in fact she's eating well. I'm calling the vet just in case.

My HB is talking about cementing the entire yard to keep our babies safe , I'm looking for other solutions---the fur-kids like their grass too
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Old 10-15-2010, 06:36 AM   #12
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Scary! I hope Poppy is ok. I found a couple of links for natural slug remedies:

Home Remedies for Slugs • Grandma's Home Remedies

http://www.gardensalive.com/article....cd2=1287153313
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Old 10-15-2010, 06:39 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kionini View Post
for posting this. Nicky has eaten slugs in the past but nothing happened. Nini doesn't consider a slug desirable, but sometimes she will do what her brother's doing just because. So it makes me wonder if she had a taste because she has been coughing and wheezing (so has Nicky--a bit). I thought it was a cold she caught at the park on Sunday She also felt warm on Wednesday, but today she looks better. Her appetite is normal, in fact she's eating well. I'm calling the vet just in case.

My HB is talking about cementing the entire yard to keep our babies safe , I'm looking for other solutions---the fur-kids like their grass too
You should tell your vet just to be on the safe side, I heard they can get it just by sniffing the trail they leave behind!
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Old 10-15-2010, 06:39 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rhetts_mama View Post
Scary! I hope Poppy is ok. I found a couple of links for natural slug remedies:

Home Remedies for Slugs • Grandma's Home Remedies

Thirteen ways to Stop Slugs
Thank you
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Old 10-15-2010, 09:12 AM   #15
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Great info!
This has also been copied into a sticky!
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