What is it exactly?

A friend at work has taken his dog to the vet and the vet has suggested he may have lung worm (the dog that is) he's 4 and a BC. He's been given a powder to add to his food a sachet a day for 5 days?

Karen

He will have been given panacur to clear it from his lungs. it is a parasite that interferes with breathing etc.  you will find lots of info if you trawl the net.

regards

Thats it panacur! Thanks, when I saw "Bob" the BC last time I thought he'd lost weight.

Karen

This recently happened to a young Elkhound bitch I bred.  she had been spayed and ehty were checking ehr weight to ensure she wasn't going to get fat and she was loosing hand over fist.  Then when she went for a walk with a firend she had no energy (initially wrongly attributed to post op behaviour).

On seeking my advice I told them to see vet and get blood tests.  It turns out she is a terrible snail eater and that she got a type of lugworm from this. 

She is now on regular monthly doses of panacur, as she still eats snails if they don;t catch her first.

Good lord thats what this BC does eats snails. I will tell his owner when I see him tomorrow.

Thanks very much Brainless.

As far as I am aware (and I may be wrong so feel free to correct me) there is a lungworm parasite (Angiostrongylus sp.) - It affects rats' pulmonary arteries, then eventually migrate into the lungs.  It is then passed out in rat's faeces where it can then penetrate into the soft body tissue of molluscs (in particular slugs and snails) - If these infected snails are eaten, and they are sometimes eaten by humans, then the condition eosinophilic meningitis can occour - however this is not a condition that is seen in the UK (as I understand) - The type of lungworm that affects OUR pets and livestock is of a genus Dictyocaulus sp. and so is obviously a different species.  Of course parts of the life cycle of this worm can pass through into faeces and affect grazing land, it can also be carried on fungal spores and earthworms!  Nevertheless as I understand it snail eaters in the UK are not at any more risk of catching the lung worm Dictyocaulus as they are simply passing through grazing land???
Sarah

It was Angiostrongylus that my bitch pup had, it seems that this parasite now has found it's way to parts of the UK (they live in Surrey).

Scary...I have checked out some sources now that say it doesn't accour in the UK and others that say it does!  Clearly it does
Sarah

With freer movement of people and animals we will be finding we are importing things we don't want :(

Hi Kazz, has the vet not tested for lungworm? It`s just I notice you say the vet has only suggested he may have lungworm.
http://www.ivis.org/advances/Parasit_Bowman/conboy_angiostrongylosis/ivis.pdf

Christine, Spain.

Hello All and thanks for the replies.

Christine, the dog was coughing and the vet is treating him for KC it seems, but said in passing it may be lungworm and gave him the panacur sachets. 5 in total.
  It is not my vet but his, and he is only relaying to me what the vet told him. Which even to me seems to be a bit "uncertain"

The cough has not cleared up and went to the vets Friday week, he is going back tomorrow so will let you know what has been said.

Thanks again Karen

A bronchial lavage often confirms the presence of lungworm, (under GA) but not always.  It is one of those conditions that can be difficult to detect with certainty at all times or stages of development, like Lyme's disease etc etc.

Thanks kazz :) It`s just that if it`s kc then panacur won`t be any use, nothing will be really just has to run it`s course & he`ll be getting chemicals thats not needed. There are several diagnostic tests for lungworm & that can be done to give confirm it, Glasgow diagnostics do it. Anyway found another link for you to pass on if you want :)
http://www.ivis.org/special_books/carter/carter6/chapter_frm.asp

Christine, Spain.

Thanks again.

I am told by "Mitchell" the owner of the BC that the coughing has eased so I assume they were right in the diagnosis of KC, r would the pancuar of worked by now?

Karen

Don`t know Kazz sorry, but if it was lungworm would it have cleared up in 3 days?? going by when you posted that is, then if it was kc hmmmm the cough could certainly have eased over the 3 dys, we need B/less back to tell us how long it takes to clear up me thinks :D :D

Christine, Spain.

Well the bitch was gradually regaining weight and was less tired after a couple of weeks.  Excersise intolerance would ba another sign.  As you might think I was very woried that it might be a heart problem (not a thing prevalent in the breed) or metabolic defect, or rare side effect of spaying.

Thanks B/less, good  to know she recovered tho :)
There you are Kazz a couple of wks for B/less dog to show signs recovery. It might depend on the worm burden & if it`s diagnosed quick enough, suppose several things would need to be taken into consideration really. 3 dys does sound rather quick tho. :)

Christine, Spain.

Hi everyone,

Been to the vets last friday and my vet recommended that I use Milbemax to worm my puppies and dogs, all the information I was given is that it clears all worms, but on checking on the internet I cannot see that it clears lung worm but it does clear most other ones, has anyone else used it?

Pat