SLUGS, SNAILS AND PUPPY ‘FAILS’ - ACT AGAINST LUNGWORM CAMPAIGN

I want you to close your eyes for 10 seconds and imagine walking into your garden and finding your dog on the floor. He looks asleep, but he isn't responding to his name. You think this is weird because it's not warm outside. It's been raining all week and it finally stopped an hour ago. His favourite treats are not even enticing him to respond to you. Then you notice his chest isn't moving up and down. Your dog isn't breathing and he's died within the last 30 minutes since you was last outside.

You take him straight to the vet and it's confirmed your beloved best friend is on his way to crossing the rainbow bridge. You're told he had lungworm in his system and you can't understand how it happened. However, you then remember a few days ago when he had his nose in the ground in the garden. He was desperately trying to scrape something out of the soil, but you walked away and didn't give it a thought.

It was a snail running alive with the parasite known as Lungworm. You didn't act upon this. A few days later and it's too late. The parasite has killed your best friend. 

If you have experience with Labradors (or just very food orientated dogs), you will know that they eat EVERYTHING. Elsie has been known to munch on the likes of socks, pebbles, walls and even glass. Don't ask.

A few months ago,  I had to rush Elsie to the vet, with the fear and concern she had eaten a snail in the garden. We was given an Advocate medication treatment, which she needed to take for a week, just incase she had picked the parasite up.

We have quite a large garden, so it can be hard to hunt down every single snail and remove them all. Most of them are hidden away in soil too! Whilst so many people would brush this off and not worry about it, there are so many dangers for dogs if they are in contact with snails and slugs... or even within an area of the garden where the slimy creatures have been.

I am joining forces with Bayer: Animal Health, to help spread awareness for their current campaign called #ActAgainstLungworm. In this post, you'll find out all about the disease, how it's caught, what to do if your dog has it and how to prevent your pooch getting it.

As a dog owner, I see Elsie as my fur baby and will do anything to protect her from everything. The day I picked her up, was the day I agreed to be a responsible owner and dog mumma and since then, I have done everything in my control to make sure she lives a happy and fulfilled life.

I know there are so many responsible dog owners out there, which is why I have asked some blogger pals to send me some photos of their pampered pooches. All of these dogs are clearly looked after (and SUPER cute!) and are living very happy lives!

L-R: 8 month old Caspar owned by Jack from no34 / Louie the pug owned by Alicia / Hutch owned by Lindsay / Henry the french bulldog @henrythepig_ / Elsie @Elsiechoclab / Lily and lil sis to Severus, owned by Steph / Baker owned by Danielle / Sisters Milly and Bella owned by Lauren at NakedFashions / xx owned by Loren Green

Elsie wanted to take charge of this campaign, to spread the word to all her fabulous human and furry internet friends. Join her in the video below on a recent dog walk to see what she gets up to and just how hard it can be to watch her every 4 legged move!

Dogs deserve a chance to live happy too. 

Lungworm or Angiostronglylus Vasorum is a parasite that is carried in the larvae and slime on snails and slugs. With wet weather on the rise recently, this will mean that those pesky snails and slugs will be coming out more regularly. After the rain has passed, they nest themselves into moist areas of the garden.

If dogs eat snails or slugs, or even come into contact with an area that a snail has been in; they can get lungworm. Lungworm can also be caught by coming into contact with other infected areas. Simple doggy acts such as eating grass, drinking puddles and even playing with toys that have been left outside and crawled over by snails, can all be infected with the parasite.

Simple measures can be put in place to put your dog at low risk of ever catching lungworm.

1) It's really important to clean out water bowls regularly, especially outdoor bowls. Change the water frequently to ensure your dog is drinking fresh and clean water; untouched by snails.

2) Dog poop that is infected with lungworm actually attracts snails and slugs, so it's a wise idea to regularly pick up and dispose of poop as quickly as possible.

3) Leaving toys in the garden puts your dog at risk if they are left out in the rain or in moist areas. We group together Elsie's toys regularly and clean them too.

4) If you have more than one dog and one gets infected, it's highly advisable to get both (or all) dogs checked out.

Lungworm is a serious health problem and it can be FATAL.

Puppies and younger dogs are more prone to catching lungworm due to their inquisitive nature. As a new dog owner almost two years ago, I admittedly didn't know very much about lungworm. However, when I registered Elsie with her vet, I asked them lots of questions and got myself educated. It's so important to know the facts as it could save your dog's life at any point.

Lungworm is treatable and can cure a dog, however it can also kill a dog if left untreated. Prevention measures should be taken to prevent a dog ever having to be treated in the first place. Worming tablets should be ingested by your dog every 3 months and this does prevent against lungworm. However, it is advisable to get products for prevention and use them once a month. Worming tablets are only used 4 times a year, which is not regular enough for the other 8 months of the year.

It's better to be safe, than sorry. Isn't your best friend worth it?

Over 100 cases were reported in the UK between February and May 2017; and 9 of those resulted in deaths. It's a fact that a young puppy who has lungworm and isn't treated, will only live between 10-14 months. Scary to think that this is a true fact, but this is still something that many new pet owners will ignore or don't even know about. 

A survey was run by Bayer Animal Health and 1000 puppy owners took part. Results were shocking and found that 88% of owners knew what lungworm was, but only 45% of owners took action when their dog had been in contact with a snail or slug. 70% of these owners also admitted they are not treating their dogs to a monthly treatment against worms, lungworm, tapeworm etc. 

Shocking! Irresponsible! Barbaric!  

1291 cases of lungworm have been reported within 50 miles of my postcode. 

A shocking number, so it worries me how many more unreported cases could increase this number much more. Living in Essex means I am surrounded by many parks and a few forests too; common places for snails and slugs to set up camp in. I thought the number of cases would be high, but I never anticipated it to be over 1000 cases.

Lungworm is widespread and many cases are left unreported. Nobody knows the true extent of the parasite and just how many dogs really are affected. 

You can check how many cases have been reported in your area, by entering your postcode here and it will give you a rough estimation.

I spoke to my local veterinary surgery, Vets4Pets in Chadwell Heath, who kindly answered some burning questions I had about lungworm. 

1. How does Lungworm attack the body? Are certain organs attacked?

Lungworm is a parasite that can cause serious health problems in dogs and could even be fatal if left untreated. Slugs and snails carry the larvae of the lungworm parasite and can infect dogs if ingested. These larvae then penetrate the intestinal wall where they then migrate into the lungs through the bloodstream. They reside in the lungs until they develop into an adult lungworm. The adult lungworm produce eggs that reside in the lungs, which are coughed up and then ingested back into the stomach and finally released into the environment via faeces. Slugs and snails that come into contact with the faeces will become infected and the cycle continues.

2. What are the symptoms of Lungworm that owners should look out for?

Lungworm infections can result in a number of different signs. The most common symptoms to watch out for are coughing, wheezing and weight loss. As the number of worms multiply, the cough may worsen and breathing may become rapid and heavy. You may also notice behavioural changes in your pet. Lungworm can cause dogs to become lethargic and it can sometimes cause seizures. you may also notice nose bleeds, excessive bleeding from minor wounds and bleeding in the eyes.

3. What should dog owners do with snails they find in the garden?

You should remove any snails or slugs in your garden and also de-slug your garden (but take care of slug pellets!). You should not leave any toys, water or food bowls in the garden for slugs and snails to crawl over. 

4. How many cases of Lungworm has Vets4Pets, Chadwell Heath had?

1 case.

5. What should dog owners do when they have found or think their dog has eaten a snail/slug?

We always recommend treating animals monthly with Advocate. This spot-on treatment is licensed for both the treatment and prevention of Lungworm. If you suspect your pet has ingested a slug or snail, you can visit us in practice to start a monthly spot-on treatment. We also offer care plans that help spread the cost of flea and worming treatment, such as Advocate.

6. What is the treatment for Lungworm?

It’s the same as prevention. However, in some extreme cases, your pet may require extra treatment such as blood transfusion to replace lost blood or antibiotics to treat secondary pneumonia.

7. Can a pregnant dog with Lungworm pass it onto her unborn puppies?

Yes. Puppies can become infected by their mother if they ingest faeces from her or if they are licked by her. If you notice any of the lungworm symptoms in your pet or if you are concerned, you should consult your veterinary practice as soon as possible.

Bayer's 2017 campaign called Act Against Lungworm is to raise awareness of the ongoing problem with lungworm and to educate pet owners about the risk. When taking your dog to a new area, it's advisable to check the map to see how many reported cases of lungworm there have been in that area. 

I hope this has post has raised some awareness for you reading and you have learned something new; no matter how big or small. Dogs are for life!

Disclaimer: In collaboration with Bayer Animal Health. All words are my own.  Photography has been provided from various bloggers with dogs; all of which have been credited.