Wirral: Dog owners warned as Lungworm spreads in UK

Lungworm is currently spreading in the country, with more than 100 cases reported within 50 miles of Wirral.

If left untreated, lungworm can be fatal to canines.

Nine per cent of dogs that get infected with the disease sadly die from the issues that lungworm causes.

Problems associated with lungworm for dogs can include: coughing, changes in breathing or struggling to breathe, going off food, upset stomach with vomiting and/or diarrhoea, weight loss, tiredness, unexplained or excessive bruising, pale gums and bleeding.

Lungworm is a parasite that can be spread in the environment in a number of ways.

For example, infected dogs and foxes can spread the disease with lungworm larvae being present in the animals' faeces.

Other animals can ingest this, or it can be ingested by slugs and snails - which, if eaten by dogs, can further spread the disease.

According to an interactive map that tracks registered cases of lungworm, there are 103 cases in a 50-mile radius of Wirral.

How many cases in Wirral and where are they?

In Wirral, there are nine registered cases of lungworm so far.

The cases are in the following areas:

• Wallasey Rd, Wallasey
• Upton Rd, Moreton
• Broadway, Bebington (two cases)
• New Chester Rd, Bromborough 
• Liverpool Vets Hospital, Neston (four cases)

It should be noted that some of these locations are registered veterinary centres, so may not reflect lungworm hotspots in Wirral.

You can prevent your dog from being seriously harmed by a lungworm infection in the following ways:

• Regular worming treatments
• Picking up your dog’s faeces quickly. This will help prevent the spread of lungworm
• Removing toys and bowls from the garden overnight so they are not exposed to slugs and snails
• Changing the water in water bowls frequently

It should be noted that lungworm cannot be transmitted from animals to humans.

To see the map, visit https://mypetandi.elanco.com/en_gb/lungworm-map