slugs, snails and worms

[spaniel]

Ruby is particularly fond of picking up creatures and running round with them in her mouth, typical spangle. However I do worry that one day she may swallow one of her little friends so is it worth me investigating lungworm treatments/preventatives for her.

Ive no reason to beleive she has picked anything up but its best to be protected so could someone fill me in on what she should be having?

 

[NOISYGIRL]

Yeh it might be worth finding out how you'd know if it had one, my OH saw something about them and said it was gross and we always try to make sure she doesn't pick any of those up, I think its the snails and slugs that are the problem. Mine also likes to murder anything that moves, she was rolling a bee around her mouth the other day and spitting it out, poor thing and it hadn't stung her, I put it out of its misery

Spookily, Ruby is the name of my dogs sister, they are spangles

 

[harkback]

Advocate http://www.advocate-spot-on.com/4413.0.html

Good site for info from Bayer
http://www.lungworm.co.uk/scripts/pages/en/home.php

Use Advocate on all mine and no reactions even the sensitive ones.

 

[Ponyless]

There is no preventative treatment, only treat worms already in existence as with other worms. As stated above, advocate works, as does Milbemax but that has to be given once a week for a month to be effective against lungworm (I think...it is definitely more than the normal dose).
Dogs can catch lungworm from the 'slime' left behind from slugs and snails, so if she is picking them up she will still be at risk. Definitely worth contacting your vet.
From what I can remember - symptoms would be coughing, exercise intolerance (panting ealrier than normal on a walk) and clotting disorder (but that would be unlikely to be noticed).

 

[Nickijem]

It is a spangle thing isn't it!?
Purdey had a toad the other night - now they are dangerous because they secrete a toxic layer that supposed to make them taste horrid. I had to wash Purdey's mouth out (so the water washed out her mouth, not down her throat) but she was still sick. After that she suffered no ill-effects but lungworm is something I hadn't thought of.