Do you think that the recent raising of awareness in regards to the lungworm risk is in response to an increased risk? Or do you think it's a tactic to get us in the pocket following a loss of revenue from annual booster immunisations. I must admit I'm suspicious at the sudden high profile.

In this part of East Dorset a puppy died from lung worm. At that time, it was a new illness and the vets were unaware of the problems it causes such as bleeding. It is transported by slugs & snails and I believe frogs as well. Many dogs sniff or lick snail or slug trails or carry snails around.  I certainly don't think it is scaremongering and I shall give my bitch Advocate just before she is spayed next month.

About 5 years ago we had a dog with a persistent case of kennel cough. I noticed that our vets had a whole lot of advertisements about lungworm  treatments on the counter etc so I suggested this as a possible cause  of his problems. " oh, there's no lungworm in this area, or nearby " says the vet.
  I had him treated for it anyway just in case, but probably wouldn't have if the advertisements hadn't put it in my mind. It didn't help his condition any , so I presume he wasn't affected.

My rescue had as we thought kennel cough, but it turned out to be lung worm. She survived, but only just. Apart from large black patches of destroyed lung ( shown in scans) she had infection and pus filling her oesophagus, throat and nasal cavities. It took an awful long time to get her over it, getting on for a year before she was clear.

She had been living rough in Norfolk after being abandoned so could have picked it up anywhere, but it looked as though she had had it a long time for the damaged it had done and the amount of secondary infection.
I will never ever take lungworm prevention as unnecessary as to me I have seen the dreadful results.

Thank goodness for insurance

> Do you think that the recent raising of awareness in regards to the lungworm risk is in response to an increased risk? Or do you think it's a tactic to get us in the pocket following a loss of revenue from annual booster immunisations

You know what my answer is going to be - the cynic in me says maybe!   Especially as like me, many people are now not doing annual boostering.   Mind you, the previous vet I was using charged the same for the annual Lepto booster only, as for the complete set!    Not what my current vet does!    Of course, forwarned is forarmed and lungworm is a nasty - it does pay to be aware but I'm always suspicious about 'kerching'.

My vet says lot of it is to do with advertising... and how many  cases get blamed on lungworm but are not actuallt tested to be lungworm. They have as a practise never treated or has a 100% confirmed lungworm. I know of 3 deaths where the vet suggested lungworm to be the reason and all were something else in pm. Many people choose not to have a pm and probably tell friends etc it was probably lungworm...

If you go onto Noah compendium it clearly states for advocate that it only treats and doesn't protect against lungworm. Vets are selling it that it protects, but its actually doesn't

I am pretty sure there is no prevention it all works on killing anything that is there which is why manufactures prescribe it monthly. My bitch had a snap test done  before spaying as I prefer not to guve chemical treatments wherever possible

> I know of 3 deaths where the vet suggested lungworm to be the reason and all were something else in pm.

Very interesting info Noora.

Thanks for the responses so far. I remain unconvinced that the lungworm risk is any higher than before. My dogs don't  pick up slugs or snails but they do occasionally eat grass which of course may or may not have been in contact with snails. So as not all slugs and snails carry the worms, my dogs would seem to be at a low risk. Will keep an eye on developments, thankyou everyone.

worm count will give you a pretty god idea of whats going on in your dog

In reply to your post regards Advocate and lungworm, I too was told it prevents lungworm by my vet. I mentioned my concerns about lungworm and our new puppy who picks up and tries to eat everything, he said Advocate would prevent it and I actually bought three months worth! Feeling a tad annoyed now....Could have got regular wormers a lot cheaper and my dog is still not protected against lungworm....

Sam

Could have got regular wormers a lot cheaper and my dog is still not protected against lungworm..

No but if your dog does pick up lung worm larvae the advocate will get rid of it before you know anything about it............drontal etc will not do this so the lungworm then develops into a problem.

Yes I use advocate on Zuma as he had a very mild attack when he was about 2...........he is now 8½ and had no further problem since in spite of 'grazing' in the garden and sometimes out on walks.

re cost - get a prescription from vet and buy on line

That's the thing with this recent advertising campaign, it suggests that lungworm can be prevented, which it cannot any more than any other type of worm. Regular pet owners who might (or might not) be less savvy about these things are hoodwinked into thinking they can prevent lungworm anc it's scare tactics to show the family pet dropping down dead.

You raise a good case to keep him on Advocate as it will get rid if lungworm if he does get it, but it's still mis-selling saying it prevents in the first place.....but I suppose I should take this up with my vet! Will go online via prescription though to cut costs in future so thanks for the advice.
Sam

A vast majority of preventatives work in this way   If a dog is on flea or tick or heartworm prevention, it's exactly the same thing:  The dog gets fleas or a tick, which bites them, and is killed.  The dog had to get the parasite in the first place, for it to be killed. 

There is no product which creates an aura around your dog which magically deflects parasites....

I seem to remember some years ago now, when our poor girl was coughing and it was thought it could be lungworm (it wasn't it was secondaries on her lungs), she was given Panacur?   But that was with a really bad vet so ..... ?

My last dog had a predatory streak, and was a habitual snail shell cruncher. She was wormed using the 7 day courses of Panacur 10%, and never developed lungworm.

Don't forget that lungworm has only been seen in UK comparatively recently and early cases were only reported in the south of England, unfortunately it has now spread to a far wider area.

I am not convinced the risk is very high and I don't use any preventatives which are very toxic meds - I a. Sure some dogs have been affected but the numbers of dogs unaffected doesn't make good press so media reports can be somewhat misleading.
My vet is a friend and also not convinced the risk is high and doesn't use any preventatives with his own dogs
I will continue to monitor my dogs closely, any suspicious coughs etc will be checked out closely

Panacur is effective against lungworm although it isn't licensed to be used like this (no idea why) - it does need several days worth of it, not just one treatment, so it's not very practical as a monthly preventative.

Lungworm cannot be prevented - despite what the advert says.   Treatments are purely that - treatments - for if a dog has any worms, including Fox and Dog Lungworm.
If these scare tactics encourage people to use the chemical treatments when not required, we'll end up with them not working when really needed - just as has happened with such as Frontline for fleas and, even worse, antibiotics.

It is far more important to keep your dogs fit and healthy by good food and exercise and reducing the chemicals that their bodies are challenged with - including unnecessary treatments for things they haven't got, so their immune systems are strong and healthy enough to fight off natural challenges rather than trying to cope with a constant barrage of chemicals.

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Maj Maj Evill says:  Ireally object to the advert showing kids playing with their dog and then suddenly it is dead. I find it hard to believe that many dogs actually die from lungworm so I have always thought i was scare tactics to sell wormers.

- - -  Lynne Charles says: I asked my vet about it some years ago. He told me normal wormers don't control lungworm. The dog has to be treated once a month. More toxic cocktails.

I said earlier that I use Advocate on Zuma since he had very early symptoms of Lungworm some years ago, My vet at the time was certain of the diagnosis as her own dog had had exactly the same symptoms some months earlier and had all the tests etc to confirm diagnosis. BUT I don't use it every month - vets suggestion was that once every 3 months would /should be adequate as we are not in a high risk area. Advocate also controls/treats fleas,  mange and roundworms so one treatment for a bunch of different nasties.

Do you think that the recent raising of awareness in regards to the lungworm risk is in response to an increased risk?

Where have you noticed this recent 'increase' in the subject commentary?
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In support of the OP. I have been emailed The Lungworm Map at least three times in recent weeks. This comes from a drug company, and shows all recorded cases. I only checked my own area, and some of these went back as far as 2009. By far the greatest number were unconfirmed and suspected cases. There were only 3 confirmed cases within a 35 mile radius, and those were in completely different directions from my location.
Well worth keeping an eye on all the same.

In support of the OP. I have been emailed The Lungworm Map at least three times in recent weeks. This comes from a drug company, and shows all recorded cases. I only checked my own area, and some of these went back as far as 2009. By far the greatest number were unconfirmed and suspected cases. There were only 3 confirmed cases within a 35 mile radius, and those were in completely different directions from my location.
Well worth keeping an eye on all the same.

Thanks, useful monitoring info.
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