Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Lungworm infections in dogs and cats in Germany and Denmark 2003-2007
By Taubert, Anja et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology·2009·Institute of Parasitology, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Lungworm infections (Angiostrongylus vasorum, Crenosoma vulpis, Aelurostrongylus abstrusus) in dogs and cats in Germany and Denmark in 2003-2007.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that 3.6% of dogs in Denmark and Germany had lungworm infections, which can cause breathing problems. In Denmark, the most common lungworm was Angiostrongylus vasorum, while in Germany, Crenosoma vulpis was more frequently found. The infections were more prevalent in certain regions, and there was a seasonal pattern in the cases. If your dog is showing signs of respiratory distress that aren't improving with treatment, it might be worth discussing lungworm testing with your veterinarian.
People also search for: dog breathing problems lungworm · cat respiratory issues treatment · lungworm infection in dogs symptoms
Abstract
Faecal samples of 4151 dogs from Denmark, 958 dogs from Germany and 231 cats from Germany with clinical signs were examined for lungworm larvae using the Baermann funnel technique between 2003 and 2007. In total, 3.6% of Danish and German dogs shed lungworm larvae. In Denmark, patent infections of dogs with Angiostrongylus vasorum were more prevalent (2.2%) than those with Crenosoma vulpis (1.4%). In Denmark, the majority of A. vasorum- (98%) and C. vulpis-infected (80%) dogs originated from Northern Zealand. The frequency of A. vasorum and C. vulpis infections in Danish dogs obviously decreased from 2003 to 2006. In Germany, canine faecal samples were found more frequently positive for C. vulpis than for A. vasorum larvae (2.4% and 1.2%, respectively). Lungworm-infected dogs originated mainly from southern and western Germany. Larvae of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus were detected in 5.6% of cats from Germany. Overall, a distinct seasonal pattern in the detection of infected dogs was apparent for A. vasorum in Denmark and C. vulpis in Germany. The relatively high number of lungworm-infected dogs and cats indicate that these parasitic diseases should be considered in differential diagnosis of cases of treatment-resistant respiratory/cardiopulmonary distress.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19019555/