Hi Friend,

Angiostrongylus vasorum, otherwise known as lungworm, is a parasite that lives in the in the lungs and hearts of foxes, coyotes, wolves and dogs. It was first found in France, and is known as the 'French' Heartworm.

Recently there have been cases diagnosed in Newfoundland- a wonderful Canadian province by the way... but the 'experts' expect it to become established in other areas of Canada, and spread via foxes, coyotes and wolves to the United States.

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How does your dog acquire it?

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Adult worms live in the arteries of the lung (pulmonary arteries).

A female worm releases eggs into the blood which find their way to the small vessels in the lungs (capillaries)

The eggs become small worms, larvae, which  pass into the airways of the lungs.

The larvae are coughed up and swallowed- they then leave your dogs body in the stool (feces).

Slugs and snails ingest the larvae in the stool, they then progress to the next life stage, and are ready to be consumed by more dogs, continuing the cycle.

The consumed larvae are able to go through your dog's intestinal wall, and migrate to the pulmonary arteries.

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Clinical Signs
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These are primarily associated with how your dog's lungs and heart is affected.

Some dogs are asymptomatic ( show few clinical signs), while others can show serious signs:

Persistent cough, breathing difficulty, crackles on listening to the lungs, elevated lung blood pressure leading to a heart murmur, lack of energy, weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea, and in even more serious cases, blood disorders. There can be problems with blood clotting leading to bleeding in different areas ( ie stomach, chest cavity), signs of bleeding in the skin (petechia), and nose bleeding.

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Treatment

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Fortunately there are a few safe conventional antiparasitics to treat this disease.

Milbemycin oxime, otherwise known as Milbemax, can be given at a dose of .5mg/kg once daily for 4 weeks.
Fenbendazole ( known as Panacur) can be given at the dose of 20-50mk/kg daily for 5-21 days. (Source, Conboy GA. Canine angiostrongylus: Vet Parasitol 2011;176:382-389)


P.S. As this is much more of a problem in Europe, the large drug companies have come up with more solutions, and Bayer makes a product called 'Advocate'..."A simple but effective treatment for Angiostrongylus vasorum is Advocate® which is available as a monthly spot on preparation, which is also used to treat fleas."

Clearly this is not required yet, but if this is to become an established endemic disease, then it may be needed in some areas.

In the meantime stay up to date with keeping your dog strong and healthy, and keep doing regular weekly exams at home. In my Inner Circle there are some fabulous resources that give you exact steps to doing this at home.

You can see the videos here:

http://www.theonlinevet.com/innercircle.php

P.P.S. And if your dog has serious clinical signs such as difficulty breathing, please use some common sense and see your vet!!

P.P.P.S. I wish it could be me, but for obvious reasons it can't:-(

Heal Your Pets At Home!

Best Wishes,

Dr Andrew Jones

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DISCLAIMER: This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. Dr Andrew Jones resigned from the College of Veterinarians of B.C. effective December 1 2010, meaning he cannot answer specific questions about your pet's medical issues or make specific medical recommendations for your pet.

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