Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog developed severe shock after worm treatment for angiostrongylosis
By Søland, J & Bolt, G·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·1996·Centrum Animal Clinic·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Hypovolaemic shock after anthelmintic treatment of canine angiostrongylosis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A whippet was diagnosed with a lungworm infection (canine angiostrongylosis) and showed signs of breathing and circulation problems. After receiving standard treatment with levamisole and corticosteroids, one of the other dogs in the household developed severe shock two days later. This shock was likely caused by an allergic reaction to the rapid death of the worms in its system. The dog required emergency treatment with intravenous fluids and additional corticosteroids to recover. Pet owners should be aware of potential severe reactions when treating lungworm infections and discuss alternative treatments with their veterinarian.
People also search for: whippet lungworm treatment · dog anaphylactic shock symptoms · levamisole side effects in dogs
Abstract
Canine angiostrongylosis was diagnosed in a whippet with typical signs of respiratory and circulatory distress. Subclinical Angiostrongylus vasorum infections were also demonstrated in two other whippets belonging to the same owner. All three dogs were given standard anthelmintic levamisole treatment combined with corticosteroids. Two days after initiation of treatment, one of the subclinically infected dogs developed severe hypovolaemic shock that required intravenous fluid therapy and corticosteroids to save its life. The shock is believed to have been caused by an anaphylactic reaction triggered by the rapid release of a large amount of worm antigen in the blood due to the rapid death of adult worms by levamisole. Thus, dog owners should be instructed to monitor dogs undergoing levamisole treatment against A vasorum. Alternatives to levamisole treatment of canine angiostrongylosis should be considered.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8981281/