Angiostrongylus Vasorum - that’s “lungworm” to most of us!
This little critter was found in a poo sample of a patient at the small animal hospital - the video is what 💩 looks like under the microscope 🔬
Lungworm has an interesting lifecycle: baby worms are passed out in dog poo and eaten by slugs and snails which are in turn eaten by dogs. The worms travel from the dog’s gut to the lungs where they stay until they are adults. Here, they lay eggs which hatch into baby worms (larvae). The dogs cough up and then swallow the larvae, which pass out in the poo ready to infect the slugs and snails again. 🐌
A particular problem in the UK is that foxes are infected too, and because they aren’t being wormed, they become infected and stay infected - keeping the cycle going 🪱
Lungworm was first found in France in the 1980s and since then has spread to southern England, and then into Scotland (which was previously lungworm-free).
Lungworm can cause various signs of illness in dogs, from coughing and vomiting to uncontrolled bleeding and heart failure.
If your dog enjoys a quiet life indoors away from slugs and snails, you might not need to worry about this worm. However, if your dog goes outside, especially if you live in an area where you see foxes, we are happy to discuss whether it is worth treating your pet. It’s worth mentioning that most of the wormers you can buy from the pet shop without a prescription don’t treat lungworm.
If you are registered with us, get in touch with your lungworm questions - we want to help you keep your pets healthy 🩺
Video credit: Anais Farges
Photo 1: https://www.vettimes.co.uk/article/the-
importance-of-preventing-lungworm/
Photo 2: https://www.esccapuk.org.uk/uploads/docs/
4ide6c4_0988_ESCCAP_UK_Diagnostic_Recommend
ations__Canine_lungworm_v2.pdf
We have an interesting case to share with you all today - the case of the missing testicle! 🕵️♂️
We are so lucky in the Pet Practice to have the hospital's specialists close by to give us advice on tricky cases, and to have access to equipment we wouldn't normally have in a first opinion practice our size. 🩺
This patient had a missing testicle we were tasked with finding and removing. We knew it was going to be tricky as the last vet practice had struggled to find it at surgery. 🐱
Our ultrasonographer, Anselmo, kindly offered to assist us with this case. He used his skills and high-resolution scanner to locate the testicle and he applied some special blue dye to help us find it during surgery. 💉
We were able to take the little cat straight from ultrasound to surgery because our services are all under the same roof. 🏨
Enjoy this video we made by pulling together some clips from the ultrasound and the surgery - there is a warning for any of you that are squeamish! 🐾
Did you know that February is Pet Dental Health Awareness Month? 🦷
To celebrate, we are going to be sharing some information about pet dentistry and the services that we offer 🩺
We thought we'd kick off by discussing a common area we get asked about... Brushing your pets teeth! 🪥
Q Should I clean my pets teeth?
A Most cats and dogs will benefit from brushing, unless they have advanced disease that requires veterinary attention (this can make brushing sore). Brushing is the best at-home method to prevent build up of calculus or tartar on your pets teeth.
Q Is it difficult?
A It is easier than you think! Most pets will tolerate it fairly well if you build up gradually and reward them afterwards.
Here is a video of vet Lindsay demonstrating how to brush teeth on the lovely Fern ❤️
If you have any questions about toothbrushing, toothpastes or technique, then please get in touch with us today and our team will be happy to assist you!
The UofG Pet Practice is a primary care vets located inside the Small Animal Hospital in Bearsden
