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Post by judypops on Apr 27, 2013 17:56:20 GMT
I was on work experience last week in a vet clinic and got to see first hand the effects of lungworm. A bullmastiff came in on the vet ambulance coughing up blood around midday. The owners for some unknown reason had decided to wash the dog so he was soaking wet and freezing cold. He was desperately skinny too, estimated at 35kgs but should have been roughly 55kg I think. His name was Colt and he was so good despite how ill he was. He got some painkillers and antibiotics I think and calmed down a bit, sleeping for a while. He was so weak we didn't even put him in a kennel, we just looped his lead around one and put him on a iv drip with saline. That afternoon we took x-rays of his chest, we had to move the machine and table to him he was so weak. His lungs were full of fluid. We set him up in a kennel for the night. I came in the next morning at 9 and unfortunately Colt had passed away He was covered in blood which the vet nurse had to try clean off of him, it was pretty gruesome. Has anyone else any experience with lungworm? I don't know much about it apart from it is caught from snails and slugs and as far as i know cats can't get it.
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Post by BorderTerrier on Apr 27, 2013 18:05:51 GMT
Oh that's very sad. I bet you wish your day had been brighter! I haven't personally had lungworm experiance, a big touch wood, but I do know its deadly and horrible. There was an article in a past Your Dog magazine about it, but it didn't say anything about cats getting it - it didn't mention cats at all. Maybe this link might help you brush up your knowledge on lungworm: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LungwormYes Wikipedia cannot always be trusted but this article seemed to give quite a bit of information.
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Post by judypops on Apr 27, 2013 18:15:07 GMT
The day he came in was very busy, the next day was dead in every sense, Colt and there was a springer spaniel with a shattered elbow that was pts as the owners couldn't afford the operation needed. He was adorable. Poor thing
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Post by BorderTerrier on Apr 27, 2013 18:19:47 GMT
Poor poor thing indeedy doo dee I bet everybody was very upset that day. D:
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Post by bextull on Apr 27, 2013 18:30:38 GMT
Oh that's very sad. I bet you wish your day had been brighter! I haven't personally had lungworm experiance, a big touch wood, but I do know its deadly and horrible. There was an article in a past Your Dog magazine about it, but it didn't say anything about cats getting it - it didn't mention cats at all. Thats because its Your DOG, not cat. They are hardly going to give advice to cat owners in a DOG magazine, especially when they have a cat version too. Maybe this link might help you brush up your knowledge on lungworm: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LungwormYes Wikipedia cannot always be trusted but this article seemed to give quite a bit of information. Terrible what happened to Colt. And the Springer is a perfect example of why you should get insurance or have something similar (like a bank account for vet bills).
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Post by BorderTerrier on Apr 27, 2013 18:33:15 GMT
Oh that's very sad. I bet you wish your day had been brighter! I haven't personally had lungworm experiance, a big touch wood, but I do know its deadly and horrible. There was an article in a past Your Dog magazine about it, but it didn't say anything about cats getting it - it didn't mention cats at all. Thats because its Your DOG, not cat. They are hardly going to give advice to cat owners in a DOG magazine, especially when they have a cat version too. Maybe this link might help you brush up your knowledge on lungworm: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LungwormYes Wikipedia cannot always be trusted but this article seemed to give quite a bit of information. Terrible what happened to Colt. And the Springer is a perfect example of why you should get insurance or have something similar (like a bank account for vet bills). I agree... of course
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Post by tonib on Apr 27, 2013 18:33:42 GMT
Not the best events for work experience Judypops, but a true reflection of how life can be distressing at a vets as well as rewarding Apparently the roundworm that causes lungworm disease in cats is a different one to the one that infects dogs. I knew that cats don't really get it directly from the slugs etc. but from their prey (birds & mammals) that have eaten the slugs/snails.
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Post by petitsfilous on Apr 27, 2013 18:34:41 GMT
To anyone reading this worried about lungworm, Advocate treats against it
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Post by caz2golden on Apr 27, 2013 18:50:16 GMT
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Post by judypops on Apr 27, 2013 18:59:09 GMT
Apparently the roundworm that causes lungworm disease in cats is a different one to the one that infects dogs. I knew that cats don't really get it directly from the slugs etc. but from their prey (birds & mammals) that have eaten the slugs/snails. Ah I see. The springer had a docked tail which leads me to believe he may have been used for hunting and it wasn't worth the money. :/ I could be wrong, I was just looking for a halfway decent excuse at the time.Of course on the other hand if they really couldn't afford it there was nothing they could really do. I really liked working there, not as hands on with the vet stuff as I would have liked but it made me reconsider vet nursing. Ps cats coming off the gas from surgery are hilarious, Dolce, a russian blue started moving around like a seal after a paw surgery.But then she took off the bandage and would not by any means let us redo it so she had to wear the cone of shame
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Post by caz2golden on Apr 27, 2013 19:01:22 GMT
I put a similar post on another recent post.
My understanding is Advocate is the only product that when used at the 1 month interval treats lungworm. However it only officially covers Angiostrongylus vasorum and Crenosoma vulpis Advocate is not suitable for all dogs, if you own a collie or OES please question with your vet.
Products like panacur and milbimax are so called 'will help in the aid of prevention' of the problem! They don't claim to clear it in one dose. Need someone with vet experience to advise on products.
There are 4 types of lungworm.
Angiostrongylus vasorum Oslerus osleri Filaroides hirthi Crenosoma vulpis
My understanding is that no one product claims to cover all of the above however by searching about I have found a persons blog which indicates that the chemical Fenbendazole covers three of the four.
Fenbendazole is what is in Panacur.
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Post by BorderTerrier on Apr 27, 2013 19:01:41 GMT
Apparently the roundworm that causes lungworm disease in cats is a different one to the one that infects dogs. I knew that cats don't really get it directly from the slugs etc. but from their prey (birds & mammals) that have eaten the slugs/snails. Ah I see. The springer had a docked tail which leads me to believe he may have been used for hunting and it wasn't worth the money. :/ I could be wrong, I was just looking for a halfway decent excuse at the time.Of course on the other hand if they really couldn't afford it there was nothing they could really do. I really liked working there, not as hands on with the vet stuff as I would have liked but it made me reconsider vet nursing. Ps cats coming off the gas from surgery are hilarious, Dolce, a russian blue started moving around like a seal after a paw surgery.But then she took off the bandage and would not by any means let us redo it so she had to wear the cone of shame Someone asked me before if my Earl had a docked tail, which he hasn't. I'm not sure why they asked, its obviously just the way his little waggly tail is bless
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