| Warning after lungworm scare
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Issue: 08/03/2019
A vet has issued a warning to dog owners in the north west after a dog nearly died from a rare disease linked to slugs and snails.
Labrador, Boo, had contracted Lungworm and Dylan Payne, from the Acorn Veterinary Centre in the Wirral, helped her to recover.
Lungworm is usually found in the south of England but warmer weather has seen an increase of incidents of the disease in the north.
It is thought that she may have picked up the infection after eating windfall apples which she is known to scavenge while out on a walk.
Once ingested, tiny parasites can make their way into a dogs heart and lungs which can prove fatal.
Symptoms include coughing, loss of appetite, losing weight and becoming generally unwell.
Payne said: 'Fortunately, lungworm is a preventable disease and prevention really is the best approach. The best thing to do is to talk to your vet about methods to protect your dog through regular worming and if you are concerned in anyway about your dog's health, do get them checked out.'
Boo's owner Mike Cockburn took the dog to the surgery when she started to rapidly lose weight.
The team at Acorn organised for her to have a full scan and noticed what they thought was a spot on her lung and referred her to specialists at Leahurst Veterinary Hospital for more tests.
Cockburn said: 'It is so important to stay up-to-date with your dog's regular worming as prevention is better than trying to cure. We were worming Boo regularly but I would definitely urge dog owners to speak to their vets about all the worming options which are available to guard against this awful disease.'
