Heartworm in Scotland
Scientists have found heartworm in Scotland. Heartworm is one of the most dangerous canine parasite and can be fatal. They say the parasite Angiostrongylus vasorum, also known as the ‘French heartworm’, may well be moving north because global climate change is causing warmer conditions in northern European countries (have they seen the rain we’ve been having?? Anyway I digress..)
Heartworm is carried by snails and slugs, which have certainly increased in Scotland because of warmer temperatures. The parasite is normally found in Southwest England, as it’s warmer there. Heartworm has also been brought back from other countries by dogs who have picked the parasite up there whilst on holiday. Other parasites have also been found in Northern Europe that normally wouldn’t survive our cold climate.
Symptoms of an infected dog include breathing difficulties, coughing and bleeding problems. Please be aware of these symptoms and if you think your dog might be infected, get him or her to the vet as soon as possible as it is possible to make a full recovery if detected early enough.
A one year old Weimaraner was treated by Glasgow vets recently. They think it became ill after swallowing an infected slug or eating grass with a fresh slug trail on it.
Small Animal Hospital Vet Jenny Helm treated the Weimaraner. She said:
“Dog owners and veterinary surgeons should be aware that the parasite has arrived in Scotland. This parasite can cause serious diseases and death is not unknown. If owners suspect their dog may be infected with the parasite they should contact their local vet immediately.”
A spokesperson for the University of Glasgow’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, said:
Further Thoughts and Related Products:“We found the larvae in the dog’s faeces and after running some specialised PCR tests confirmed it was the French heartworm parasite. The dog had never left Glasgow so it had to have come into contact with the parasite here.”
Camper Van Hire Scotland
QPCR
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Jul 17, 2008 | 0 | News
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