Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Fatal heart and lung worm infection in dogs in Italy
By Traversa, Donato et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology·2008·Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Occurrence of fatal canine Angiostrongylus vasorum infection in Italy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Two dogs in Italy died suddenly from a severe infection caused by a parasite called Angiostrongylus vasorum. They both showed serious breathing problems and heart issues before passing away shortly after being taken to the vet. A post-mortem examination revealed damage to their lungs and heart, confirming the presence of the parasite. This case highlights the importance of considering this infection when dogs show respiratory or heart-related symptoms, especially in southern Europe.
People also search for: dog breathing problems Italy · canine Angiostrongylus vasorum symptoms · heart issues in dogs · fatal dog infections · dog respiratory distress causes
Abstract
Two cases of fatal canine angiostrongylosis, occurred in a short-time between them in Italy, are described. Both animals presented with severe cardio-respiratory signs and died shortly after admission. At necropsy, both dogs showed lung haemorrhagic lesions, thrombosis of the pulmonary arteries and dilatation of the right heart chambers. Adult nematodes, identified as Angiostrongylus vasorum, were recovered from the heart and/or the pulmonary arteries of the dead animals. The present report focuses on the clinical and parasitological aspects of the two cases and underlines that canine angiostrongylosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of dogs with cardio-pulmonary disorders in southern Europe.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18215469/