Lungworm In Dogs
Causes And Effect Of Lungworm In Dogs
The presence of lungworm in dogs is fortunately not terribly common, and if detected early, can be easily treated. The lungworm, a parasitic nematode worm, is found in many animals. One major species of the lungworm is found mainly in hoofed animals, while the lungworm usually found in dogs is a different species altogether, but still a lungworm. These worms take up residence in the airways of the lungs and in the bronchial tubes, multiply, and eventually cause damage to the tissues in these airways.
A Strange Life Cycle - The lungworm in dogs has a rather peculiar life cycle, as it requires an intermediate host in order to survive. The oslerus species of lungworm, that affecting dogs, uses either slugs or snails as its intermediate host. The parasite's eggs, which may be found in an animal's feces, often attach themselves to slugs or snails. When a dog sniffs at, or eats a slug or a snail, it ingests the eggs as well, and a new lungworm life cycle is started. The eggs enter the airways of the dog through the throat, and eventually migrate into the lungs, where they hatch, grow, and multiply.
Difficult To Accurately Diagnose - The difficulty that lungworm in dogs presents, is not one of treatment, which is normally easy when done in time, but in diagnosis, which can be quite difficult. It is easy to misdiagnose the presence of lungworms as something else entirely. The symptoms of a lungworm infestation usually consist of coughing, often accompanied by the dog's loss of appetite. These symptoms can easily be confused with those of kennel cough, any number of allergies, pneumonia, or bronchitis. Lungworm symptoms are in some cases similar to heartworm symptoms, although the latter condition is vastly more serious and difficult to treat. It is of course also possible to misdiagnose one of these conditions as a presence of lungworms. Examination of fecal samples is the best method of determining whether or not lungworms are indeed the source of the problem.
Puppies Most At Risk - In most cases preventive practices are used to forestall lungworm infestations in dogs. Breeders will check breeding females for presence of the parasite before they become pregnant. Since lungworm in dogs is generally a condition found mostly in very young or very old dogs, worming of puppies is a standard practice which is almost always effective. Puppies are most often are apt to contract roundworms from their mother's milk, which also find their way into the lungs. These worms are easily dispatched through worming medication, which will take care of any other types of worms, including the lungworm, which may also be present. For older dogs, attention to their environment is usually the best approach to avoiding a lungworm problem. In older dogs, lungworm parasites may be found in or near the dog's food it being fed outside and slugs or snail are present. Even sniffing of a snail can result in the transfer of lungworm eggs form its intermediate host, the snail, to the dog.
Prevention Is Always The Best Course Of Action - If a dog is taken to the veterinarian for an annual checkup, and receives its usual shots and medications, the chances of a lungworm condition developing are quite remote. Insuring proper care of a pet often involves an expense, and this should be the case, rather than neglecting the health of the animal entirely. Prevention of diseases and disorders such as lungworm in dogs is usually much less expensive than is any treatment which may be required, at the same time avoiding unnecessary suffering by the dog itself. It would be a shame to allow a disorder which seldom occurs, and when it does, is easily treated, to go unattended, and cause a pet grief and perhaps deny it years of quality life.