Lungworm is becoming much more common, and is now a risk to dogs across much of the UK. Lungworm can be fatal and is very hard to treat once the symptoms appear. A lungworm screen looks for larvae though you should always be aware of lungworm symptoms; coughing; fast, heavy, noisy breathing; weight loss; unexplained bruising and bleeding; seizure.
Lungworm larvae are invisible to the naked eye. If your dog likes to eat grass, slugs or snails they are at risk of catching lungworm. Dogs who eat a bird or animal who has eaten a snail or slug can also become infected.
Our kit tests for the following types of lungworm:
- Canine Lungworm
- Fox Lungworm
- Hedgehog Lungworm
- French heart worm
Instructions for taking samples
Worm count kit (Green poo bag x 1)
Lungworm kit (Brown poo bags x 3) 3 samples taken over 3 days.
Puppy Pooled Litter worm Kit (Green poo bag x 3) 3 pooled samples taken over 3 days.
- Place the sample in the relevant poo bags
- Put the poo bag/s into the smaller compostable zip bag
- Place this into the larger compostable zip bag Complete your information leaflet
- Place both the leaflet and the larger compostable bag (which now contains your sample/s) into the postage bag
- Post in a standard letterbox – Postage is prepaid so no need for stamps.
Please note
A Faecal egg count is a snapshot of a specific moment in time. The test detects eggs of mature parasites that live inside the body and pass their eggs to the outside by shedding them into the dog's stool. It is possible that at the time of testing the parasites are too young to produce eggs, if no eggs are being shed the infection cannot be detected. There is also a possibility the eggs are in such small numbers at the time of testing they would be undetectable .Thus showing a negative result.
The above is extremely rare but we would like to point out the possibilities.
This is a three day test requiring three samples in total.
Post the samples on day three to make sure they’re as fresh as possible when they arrive at the lab. The sample goes directly to the lab. Collecting and storing your lungworm samples
It is essential that lungworm screen samples are stored above refrigeration temperature i.e. above 5 degrees Celsius. Please don't store your samples for days 1 and 2 in a fridge or freezer. Somewhere cool is fine, under a plant pot for example, or in the shed, as long as the temperature is over 5 degrees C.
Do the lungworm egg test if
- Your dog licks or eats grass, slugs or snails
- Or eats dead animals and birds
- You don’t worm your pet at all
- You want to check that your regular worming schedule is providing cover
- You would like to worm your dog less often but remain protected
- You raw feed your animals
- You live in a lungworm hotspot
How your dog gets lungworm
Your dog swallows the lungworm larvae which then leave the gut and migrate to the lungs via the blood. The larvae hatch into adult lungworms and make their way up through the lungs. If your dog gets to the point where they’re coughing up lungworms they’re in serious trouble. Which is why diagnosis and early treatment are essential.
If you worm your dog
Lungworm screens can be done any time from 14 days after worming. We don’t recommend doing a test before 14 days has elapsed as the worming treatment you have used will need those 14 days to work its magic.
If you don’t worm your dog
Do a test any time, especially if you’re concerned lungworm may be present, or you live in, or have visited, a lungworm hotspot. It is recommended you test for lungworm six times a year. This test is not intended as a replacement for worming your pet in the first place. It is merely a way of monitoring the worm egg or lungworm larvae burden of your dog and treating accordingly. Many owners choose to worm their pets while others never do, which is entirely your decision.
Always worm puppies by following a veterinary flea and worming schedule as they will have inherited a parasite burden from their mother, and not to do so can pose a serious health risk to very young animals. If you have any questions do not hesitate in getting in touch. *Bear in mind that larvae may only be present intermittently in the faeces and dogs may show clinical signs such as coughing prior to the larvae being present in the faeces. If you’re worried and if you know of Lungworm cases in your area a veterinary blood test is advisable.
