Rat Lung Worm In 10 Week Old Lab Puppy

[Lovemychoclab]

Hi there

We have had our 10 week old Labrodor puppy for 2 weeks now. We are very In love.

On Saturday morning we took him to the vets to get his 10 week injections that afternoon he went "lethargic" in his back legs.

We called the vet and they said it may be a reaction from the needles and to keep an eye on him over the next 24 hours.

The condition did not improve and we took him to the vets on Sunday morning to get examined.

The vet maybe thought he had hurt his back legs by a fall or twist. He searched for ticks two times and ruled out tick .

He recommended to get X-rays the next day to rule out hip dysplasia and prescribed medication ( anti inflammatory )

Monday we took him to the vets in the morning for X-rays , they noticed his condition had worsened over night and they were more neurological. They cancelled X-rays .

they suspected tick and treated him for a tick. Let me just add there was no fever , no vomiting , no saliva at the mouth , eating property . Only his back legs were not working properly. Everything else what seemed "normal".

They ran blood tests to cover all basis and they came back that night, and there was strong evidence to suspect " lung worm" .

We opted not to go with a spinal tap to 100 % confirm lungworm as there was risks involved. So they have started treatment for this this morning. It's only early days so no results yet. Just crossing our fingers .

But just wanted to get opionions of other owners that have had the same experience. I can't find much info on lungworm in dogs

What treatment was used ?

The success rate ?

Symptoms ?

How long for medication to work ect

Thank you in advance

From a very worried puppy owner , I hope I haven't left anything out.

[RuralPug]

I haven't actually experienced this in dogs but it is not uncommon in native owls (particularly Tawny Frogmouths) and brushtail possums who have eaten the intermediate host (slugs and snails, who are infected by eating the faeces of infected rats.) It is also not unknown in flying foxes.

The only information that I could find on treatment in dogs in Australia was this snippet from an elderly Wildlife Health Network paper (2009 is my copy) which stated:

" In puppies,betamethasone (1-2 mg/kg orally or by injection) was effective in reducing the severity ofclinical signs in the initial 2-16 days after developing paresis and was also very effective inlessening the residual damage left at 32 days (Mason 1987)."

If your vet wishes to source the base papers by Mason, they are quoted as:

Mason KV. Canine neural angiostrongyliasis: the clinical and therapeutic features of 55natural cases. Aust Vet J 1987,64:201-203.

Mason KV, Prescott CW, Kelly WR, Waddell AH. Granulomatous encephalomyelitis ofpuppies due to Angiostrongylus cantonensis. Aust Vet J 1976;52:295.

But one would hope that more recent studies have been done and are available.

Have just found a 2012 paper which cites 2002 - 2005 studies on this parasite in dogs in Australia (comparing their survey with Mason's earlier study) and , cutting to the the chase, it looks as though success rate is quite good and turning point will be observed within a few days of treatment commencing although the treatment may need to continue for a few months.

So this is the paper to check out (which I found online here):

Twenty two cases of canine neural angiostronglyosis in eastern Australia (2002-2005) and a review of the literature.

The only odd note is that it seems unusual for cases to occur outside of the time slot April to July, although nowhere is it stated that other times are impossible.

Hope this helps and I hope your pup recovers well.

Edited January 5, 2016 by RuralPug

[persephone]

Hope puppy is feeling better very soon .

[Lovemychoclab]

I haven't actually experienced this in dogs but it is not uncommon in native owls (particularly Tawny Frogmouths) and brushtail possums who have eaten the intermediate host (slugs and snails, who are infected by eating the faeces of infected rats.) It is also not unknown in flying foxes.

The only information that I could find on treatment in dogs in Australia was this snippet from an elderly Wildlife Health Network paper (2009 is my copy) which stated:

" In puppies,betamethasone (1-2 mg/kg orally or by injection) was effective in reducing the severity ofclinical signs in the initial 2-16 days after developing paresis and was also very effective inlessening the residual damage left at 32 days (Mason 1987)."

If your vet wishes to source the base papers by Mason, they are quoted as:

Mason KV. Canine neural angiostrongyliasis: the clinical and therapeutic features of 55natural cases. Aust Vet J 1987,64:201-203.

Mason KV, Prescott CW, Kelly WR, Waddell AH. Granulomatous encephalomyelitis ofpuppies due to Angiostrongylus cantonensis. Aust Vet J 1976;52:295.

But one would hope that more recent studies have been done and are available.

Have just found a 2012 paper which cites 2002 - 2005 studies on this parasite in dogs in Australia (comparing their survey with Mason's earlier study) and , cutting to the the chase, it looks as though success rate is quite good and turning point will be observed within a few days of treatment commencing although the treatment may need to continue for a few months.

So this is the paper to check out (which I found online here):

Twenty two cases of canine neural angiostronglyosis in eastern Australia (2002-2005) and a review of the literature.

The only odd note is that it seems unusual for cases to occur outside of the time slot April to July, although nowhere is it stated that other times are impossible.

Hope this helps and I hope your pup recovers well.

[brightstar123]

Hope your pup improves soon :)

Not sure where he is being treated but I know that the clinic and faculty at the University of Sydney has several clinicians that have particular interest and expertise in lungworm (both canine and feline) and many of the recent papers have been written by vets there. If you have any ongoing concerns it might be worth contacting them.

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

So as far as I know - rat lungworm comes from eating infected snails or slugs or stuff that snails and slugs have been sliming.

So if you can reduce the snail/slug population or teach your puppy not to eat them that might help prevent it.

My dog doesn't like slugs for some reason. The magpies are pretty happy to dispatch them and I suspect the population gets severely reduced during summer but - get a good rain storm and out they come.

So what my mum does is put saucers of beer out (snail trap - might need to put this under a milk crate so the dog can't drink it) and she also goes out on damp/dewy nights with a torch and hand collects them.

Myself - I don't bother unless they get into my vegies or things I don't want eaten.

[Lovemychoclab]

I haven't actually experienced this in dogs but it is not uncommon in native owls (particularly Tawny Frogmouths) and brushtail possums who have eaten the intermediate host (slugs and snails, who are infected by eating the faeces of infected rats.) It is also not unknown in flying foxes.

The only information that I could find on treatment in dogs in Australia was this snippet from an elderly Wildlife Health Network paper (2009 is my copy) which stated:

" In puppies,betamethasone (1-2 mg/kg orally or by injection) was effective in reducing the severity ofclinical signs in the initial 2-16 days after developing paresis and was also very effective inlessening the residual damage left at 32 days (Mason 1987)."

If your vet wishes to source the base papers by Mason, they are quoted as:

Mason KV. Canine neural angiostrongyliasis: the clinical and therapeutic features of 55natural cases. Aust Vet J 1987,64:201-203.

Mason KV, Prescott CW, Kelly WR, Waddell AH. Granulomatous encephalomyelitis ofpuppies due to Angiostrongylus cantonensis. Aust Vet J 1976;52:295.

But one would hope that more recent studies have been done and are available.

Have just found a 2012 paper which cites 2002 - 2005 studies on this parasite in dogs in Australia (comparing their survey with Mason's earlier study) and , cutting to the the chase, it looks as though success rate is quite good and turning point will be observed within a few days of treatment commencing although the treatment may need to continue for a few months.

So this is the paper to check out (which I found online here):

Twenty two cases of canine neural angiostronglyosis in eastern Australia (2002-2005) and a review of the literature.

The only odd note is that it seems unusual for cases to occur outside of the time slot April to July, although nowhere is it stated that other times are impossible.

Hope this helps and I hope your pup recovers well.

[Lovemychoclab]

Thanks so much for the useful read ????

Puppy has been on medication for a week now. They prescribed predisolone. He has movement in his Bach legs. While he has improved a lot I feel he is still definitely recovering.

Thank goodness he is going to be ok

[Lovemychoclab]

Hope your pup improves soon :)

Not sure where he is being treated but I know that the clinic and faculty at the University of Sydney has several clinicians that have particular interest and expertise in lungworm (both canine and feline) and many of the recent papers have been written by vets there. If you have any ongoing concerns it might be worth contacting them.

[Lovemychoclab]

Thank you ????

[Lovemychoclab]

So as far as I know - rat lungworm comes from eating infected snails or slugs or stuff that snails and slugs have been sliming.

So if you can reduce the snail/slug population or teach your puppy not to eat them that might help prevent it.

My dog doesn't like slugs for some reason. The magpies are pretty happy to dispatch them and I suspect the population gets severely reduced during summer but - get a good rain storm and out they come.

So what my mum does is put saucers of beer out (snail trap - might need to put this under a milk crate so the dog can't drink it) and she also goes out on damp/dewy nights with a torch and hand collects them.

Myself - I don't bother unless they get into my vegies or things I don't want eaten.

[Lovemychoclab]

What a great idea I'll set a trap up.

It's hard when you can't put bait out. And there's so many little slimy suckers out in our yard ????????????

[Dogdragon]

Hi Lovemychoclab,

I have had a case of rat lungworm in one of my Rottweiler puppies about 20 years ago. The only way to know for sure is by, as you say the spinal test. There is no cure for this and presently vets will treat it initially with cortisone. My boy was 3 months old when it manifested. It is transmitted by the dog ingesting or sniffing the infected snails or snail slime ....... not all snails carry the disease, only those that have been consuming rat feces that carry the disease. To be clear, not all rats carry the disease and not all snails carry the disease. The disease starts in the rat (hence the name rat lungworm) and is transmitted to the dog by the snail. The worm can burrow into the spinal cord and causes paralysis.

If you live in an area where rat lungworm is then you must always be diligent in keeping your dogs surroundings safe.

How it manifested in my pup was:- he was 3 months, he was fine, had all his shots. At 3 months we wormed him. This worming cause the worm to die and calcify in his spinal cord which in turn cause paralysis of the back and front legs. The vet told us he would never be able to walk and that we should have him euthanized. We decided to try intensive physio with swimming every day, massage etc etc and, over the course of 2 to 3 months he was walking, not walking great but walking none the less. Eventually over a period of around 6 months he managed to regain most of his mobility. He walked like a train, left back and front legs went in unison and right front back legs in unison, if you know what I mean, but he regained mobility and lived into his old age, lovely boy and glad we persevered.

I know a lot of people don't like using rat poisons as native animals can be effected by it and I do feel that way about it somewhat myself however, I have taken the view that to keep my dogs safe from this disease I must. I use rat baits to keep the mice population down and use snail bait (beer traps too) to keep the snail population down. I also never ever leave my dog bowls out after feeding, they go straight into the dishwasher for the next meal. I live in a rat lungworm area and I have not had a repeat incident of it and have had dogs for all that time.

Hope all is well with your pup now and that you have a good outcome.

Edited April 19, 2016 by MicheleJ

[tdierikx]

Using rat baits like Racumin don't affect animals up the food chain... but very effective on the targetted species.

T.

[persephone]

Re: rat bait -the Big Cheese baits appear to be very safe to use as far as non-target species are concerned .

We have been using it for mice for some time now . It's certainly effective ...and we have raptors/pups/dogs/cat ....

[Kirislin]

Ever since I saw this thread I am diligent about bringing in Tag and Pucks food bowls at night. I've no idea if rat lungworm is in this area but I didn't know about it before. I know snails and slugs come out at night and if I didn't bring the bowls in they's slurp around on them. Ugh!

[Dogdragon]

Thanks for the info on safe baits. Both the Racumin and The Big Cheese baits sound like an alternative for me. I am going to buy some this week and give them a try. I like on the bushline so rodents are always an issue for me.

[Papillon Kisses]

I can't help you on the lung worm front, but as an dog-owning organic veggie gardener I can help you with the snails. :)

As mentioned above, a hidden beer trap may be your best bet, but do hide it away from prying puppy paws – you don't want him drinking beer! Remember to check the trap regularly to get rid of snails and slugs which have died in merriment. Here's one example: http://www.bunnings.com.au/on-guard-snail-trap-2-pack_p3010313:

Another option is an iron-based snail and slug killer called Multiguard. The manufacturer says it's is safer for pets and wildlife so long as you follow the packet instructions (see the PDF below) which is basically just about making sure the dog doesn't consume large quantities. My dog isn't at all interested in it and he's a guts, but he's also not a Labrador puppy! :D

http://www.multicrop.com.au/home-garden-products/multiguard-snail-and-slug-killer.php

Info sheet, must read if using:

http://www.multicrop.com.au/pdfs/Multiguard---information-sheet.pdf

Another solution is to do things to encourage birds and lizards into your garden that will eat the snails and slugs, but that's a more longterm approach. :)

Edited April 20, 2016 by Papillon Kisses

[Kirislin]

I'm, wondering if your puppy picked up the lungworm at your house or at the breeders house. Do you live nearby. What is the incubation period? If you only just got him wouldn't it be more likely to have come from the breeders property?

[Dogdragon]

I'm, wondering if your puppy picked up the lungworm at your house or at the breeders house. Do you live nearby. What is the incubation period? If you only just got him wouldn't it be more likely to have come from the breeders property?

Good point, From what Lovemychoclab has said I would say its very likely her puppy was already infected prior to him coming to her. The incubation period is 1 to 6 weeks.......at least that's what the vet told me at the time. It wouldn't hurt to give the breeder a call to see if there has been any feedback on other puppies.