Robin1017 Posted September 13, 2011 Share Posted September 13, 2011 Has anyone's hounds ever tested positive for lungworm? Quote Cathy & Calvin (DOB 9/18/13). Always missing my angel Robin (Abdo Bullard). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LindsaySF Posted September 13, 2011 Share Posted September 13, 2011 No, but I studied worms in school. Did yours test positive? For which species? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin1017 Posted September 13, 2011 Author Share Posted September 13, 2011 (edited) Yes. Apparently he tested positive for hookworm AND lungworm today. He's got panacur, and I'm freaking out about disinfecting everywhere he had diarrhea last week. Hookworm sucks, but at least I can understand that one. But I know nothing about lungworm, except that the panacur should take care of it. (I did most of this by phone with a vet that has a strong British accent, so I didn't get tons of info today.) Lungworm sounds like heartworm to me somehow. Maybe it's just a random association. Should I be worried? Or should the medicine get rid of them? (I don't even know if I should be embarrassed to admit that this happened. Will it make me look like a bad mom?) Edited September 13, 2011 by Robin1017 Quote Cathy & Calvin (DOB 9/18/13). Always missing my angel Robin (Abdo Bullard). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LindsaySF Posted September 13, 2011 Share Posted September 13, 2011 Don't panic. Advanced lungworm can damage the heart/lungs, but you'd know if it was advanced because the dog would be coughing, have exercise intolerance, etc. Most dogs don't even show any symptoms when they are diagnosed, and the Panacur takes care of it. (Some treatment protocols recommend Ivermectin and also Albendazole be added to the Panacur, probably depends on severity). Heartworm is more dangerous because the treatment isn't as straightforward and it can cause a lot of side effects as the heartworms die. Did your dog have any symptoms like coughing? Did they say which species of lungworm? Capillaria sheds eggs in the stool, but they look like whipworm eggs, so that might be a misdiagnosis there. Osleri sheds larvae in the feces. How did they make the diagnosis? Did they see the L1 larvae under the microscope? How fresh was the fecal sample? If the fecal sample was not completely fresh when they looked at it, they could just be seeing L1 hookworm larvae under the scope that have hatched by the time they got to it (L1 hookworm and L1 lungworm are nearly identical). If they didn't use any special techniques to examine the fecal sample, and they are saying lungworm, I would bet it's a whipworm or hookworm misdiagnosis. You often need to use special sedimentation techniques to see lungworm eggs or larvae. You're not a bad dog mom! Prevention depends on which species you're dealing with. Paragonimus uses crayfish and snails as the intermediate host, and racoons as a transport host. The dog has to eat one of the hosts to get infected. I think Osleri uses slugs or snails as an intermediate host? Eating a slug, sniffing a slug, or sniffing/licking at a slime trail can cause infection. Try to eliminate snails from your yard, but aside from that there isn't much you can do. Osleri can also be transmitted from mom to pup in utero. Capillaria has a direct life cycle, meaning the eggs in poop can infect a dog. Overall though lungworms are not common in dogs. Just based on my experience with vet offices being totally clueless about parasites, I wouldn't be surprised if they are misdiagnosing a lungworm infection. ~Lindsay~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeofNE Posted September 13, 2011 Share Posted September 13, 2011 I believe Joe T. Reporter had a case of lung worms? Quote Susan, Hamish, Mister Bigglesworth and Nikita Stanislav. Missing Ming, George, and Buck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin1017 Posted September 13, 2011 Author Share Posted September 13, 2011 Don't panic. Advanced lungworm can damage the heart/lungs, but you'd know if it was advanced because the dog would be coughing, have exercise intolerance, etc. Most dogs don't even show any symptoms when they are diagnosed, and the Panacur takes care of it. (Some treatment protocols recommend Ivermectin and also Albendazole be added to the Panacur, probably depends on severity). Heartworm is more dangerous because the treatment isn't as straightforward and it can cause a lot of side effects as the heartworms die. Did your dog have any symptoms like coughing? Did they say which species of lungworm? Capillaria sheds eggs in the stool, but they look like whipworm eggs, so that might be a misdiagnosis there. Osleri sheds larvae in the feces. How did they make the diagnosis? Did they see the L1 larvae under the microscope? How fresh was the fecal sample? If the fecal sample was not completely fresh when they looked at it, they could just be seeing L1 hookworm larvae under the scope that have hatched by the time they got to it (L1 hookworm and L1 lungworm are nearly identical). If they didn't use any special techniques to examine the fecal sample, and they are saying lungworm, I would bet it's a whipworm or hookworm misdiagnosis. You often need to use special sedimentation techniques to see lungworm eggs or larvae. You're not a bad dog mom! Prevention depends on which species you're dealing with. Paragonimus uses crayfish and snails as the intermediate host, and racoons as a transport host. The dog has to eat one of the hosts to get infected. I think Osleri uses slugs or snails as an intermediate host? Eating a slug, sniffing a slug, or sniffing/licking at a slime trail can cause infection. Try to eliminate snails from your yard, but aside from that there isn't much you can do. Osleri can also be transmitted from mom to pup in utero. Capillaria has a direct life cycle, meaning the eggs in poop can infect a dog. Overall though lungworms are not common in dogs. Just based on my experience with vet offices being totally clueless about parasites, I wouldn't be surprised if they are misdiagnosing a lungworm infection. ~Lindsay~ Whew! I'm sure, based on what you are describing, that it is mild, if not a misdiagnosis. They didn't say anything about the species, and seem to be ignoring that and focusing on hookworm because that can transmit to humans, so it seems like it's not worrying them. The "sample" was from that morning, but it had been a good 3-4 hours, in not-so-warm temperatures, so things could have hatched as well. No coughing or obvious exercise issues--in fact, we just came back in from zoomies, so I think he's feeling okay. It's good to know I don't have to worry too badly. Just about the hookworms, I guess, which have already cost me a bedroom area rug and several lost nights' sleep! Thanks for the info! Let's cheer on the Panacur!!! Go team go!!! Quote Cathy & Calvin (DOB 9/18/13). Always missing my angel Robin (Abdo Bullard). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LindsaySF Posted September 14, 2011 Share Posted September 14, 2011 Sounds like he's fine then. Hookworms can be a pain to get rid of (make sure you do another Panacur dose in 3 weeks, then maybe another one after that). And while they can infect humans, all it causes is a skin rash. The type of hookworm that humans get in their intestines comes from other humans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.