Dog owners are being warned over a deadly infection which can come from animals drinking from puddles.
A national survey of UK dog owners and vet staff has shown that many people can't spot the risks of lungworm - a parasite that can cause severe illness and even death. Lungworm used to be found only in certain hotspots in the UK, mainly in the South of England and Wales.
However, study data shows that lungworm is spreading throughout much of the UK, and it is now also endemic in Central England, with an increasing number of cases being reported in Northern England and Scotland.
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For Phoebe Claydon, a dog owner living in Milton Keynes, her pup was unusually lethargic and an accidental fall from a sofa was the first sign that anything was amiss. The next day, Gracie, the one-year-old working Cocker Spaniel, woke with a swollen face and bruised, black skin resulting in an emergency dash to her regular veterinary practice.
Gracie was treated by local veterinary surgeon Kim Hart who moved to Milton Keynes in June 2022 from a practice in Bedford.
She said: “Education is needed to make sure lungworm is covered with prescription treatment for those dogs at risk. Off-the-shelf medications will not be effective, and they can leave animals vulnerable to lungworm. Pets could have lungworm for several months undetected and it is either detected by owners only when symptoms have become very severe, or if a secondary problem triggers a visit to a veterinary practice.”
Gracie is back to full health following treatment and has "more energy than ever".
Phoebe said: “I didn’t know lungworm could be fatal and if it had been left longer it might have been different. Luckily Gracie was treatable.”
Survey data shows that one in four dog owners do not recognise the symptoms of lungworm, which can include behavioural changes, low energy levels and unexpected bruising, as experienced by Gracie. One in five dog owners are unaware of how lungworm is transmitted through common activities such as eating grass, drinking from puddles or water bowls left outside, as well as eating slugs and snails.
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