Lung Worms

[Guest Greytluv]

My girlfriends grey was diagnosis with lung worms. She comes over all the time with her dogs. How contagious is it?

[OwnedBySummer]

Here's a blurb I found:

 

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 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.

 

 

Based on this, it sounds like it could be spread to YOUR dog fairly easily. Is she treating it?

Edited February 3, 2012 by OwnedBySummer

[Guest Greytluv]

Yes, she's treating it. I'll call my vet tomorrow and get a sample to take in. I have 5 dogs so I guess I'll do it in shifts

[Guest Mom2Shiloh]

How easy is it to treat? do you have to treat the ground as well, i.e. does it live in the environment for a long time? I guess I'd best research this... I don't even know if it is commonly tested for... but I do know we have tons of slugs, and many foxes....

[Guest verthib]

Yes, she's treating it. I'll call my vet tomorrow and get a sample to take in. I have 5 dogs so I guess I'll do it in shifts

 

If your dogs aren't eating the infected dogs feces and your dogs don't eat slugs I don't think they would be infected.

[DaisyDoodle]

We just finished 14 days of Panacur for lung worm. Unfortunately, I had the impression it could only be acquired from the slugs & snails. Glad I read this thread.

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

From reading this thread I would say it is still only possible to get infected from slugs. You have to realize that parasites have a very specific life-cycle and they cannot change the cycle. If they are spread by slugs and snails, then that means they are expelled in the dog feces and then a slug comes along and they mature in the slug or snail where then ingested by a dog and the cycle begins yet again. The report did not say that the larve infect the dog, only that they are expelled into the environment where it increases the spreading of the parasite - slugs and snails comming into contact with the larve.