Changes

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| Do not confuse with:

| Do not confuse with:

| [[Heartworm - Dog|'''Heartworm''']] caused by ''Dirofilaria immitis''

| [[Heartworm - Dog|'''Heartworm''']] caused by ''[[Dirofilaria immitis]]''

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|}

The results of a recent study indicate that the most common clinical signs observed in infected dogs are '''cough''' (65%), '''dyspnoea''' (43%), '''coagulopathy''' (35%) and '''collapse''' (26%)<ref>Chapman PS, Boag AK, Guitian J, Boswood A. '''Angiostrongylus vasorum infection in 23 dogs (1999-2002).''' ''J Small Anim Pract. 2004 Sep;45(9):435-40.''</ref>.  

The results of a recent study indicate that the most common clinical signs observed in infected dogs are '''cough''' (65%), '''dyspnoea''' (43%), '''coagulopathy''' (35%) and '''collapse''' (26%)<ref>Chapman PS, Boag AK, Guitian J, Boswood A. '''Angiostrongylus vasorum infection in 23 dogs (1999-2002).''' ''J Small Anim Pract. 2004 Sep;45(9):435-40.''</ref>.  

===Laboratory Tests===

===Laboratory Tests===

Blood '''eosinophilia''' and '''basophilia''' may or may not be present.  In one study, eosinophilia was detected in 21% of naturally infected dogs<ref name="one">Willesen JL, Jensen AL, Kristensen AT, Koch J. '''Haematological and biochemical changes in dogs naturally infected with Angiostrongylus vasorum before and after treatment.''' ''Vet J. 2009 Apr;180(1):106-11. Epub 2007 Dec 20.''</ref>  Animals may or may not be '''thrombocytopaenic''' and '''[[Anaemia|anaemic]]'''.

Blood '''eosinophilia''' and '''basophilia''' may or may not be present.  In one study, eosinophilia was detected in 21% of naturally infected dogs<ref name="one">Willesen JL, Jensen AL, Kristensen AT, Koch J. '''Haematological and biochemical changes in dogs naturally infected with Angiostrongylus vasorum before and after treatment.''' ''Vet J. 2009 Apr;180(1):106-11. Epub 2007 Dec 20.''</ref>  Animals may or may not be '''thrombocytopaenic''' and '''[[Anaemia|anaemic]]''' and a case of concurrent immune-mediated thrombocytopaenia with ''A. vasorum'' infection has been reported<ref>Gould SM, McInnes EL. '''Immune-mediated thrombocytopenia associated with Angiostrongylus vasorum infection in a dog.''' ''J Small Anim Pract. 1999 May;40(5):227-32.''</ref>.  

'''Fructosamine''' concentration may be low in cases of ''A. vasorum'' infection and this finding may prompt examination of a faecal sample<ref name="one">nothing</ref><ref>Willesen JL, Jensen AL, Kristensen AT, Kjelgaard-Hansen M, Jessen R, Koch J. '''Serum fructosamine concentrations in 59 dogs naturally Infected with Angiostrongylus vasorum.''' ''J Vet Med A Physiol Pathol Clin Med. 2006 Jun;53(5):266-9.''</ref>.

'''Fructosamine''' concentration may be low in cases of ''A. vasorum'' infection and this finding may prompt examination of a faecal sample<ref name="one">nothing</ref><ref>Willesen JL, Jensen AL, Kristensen AT, Kjelgaard-Hansen M, Jessen R, Koch J. '''Serum fructosamine concentrations in 59 dogs naturally Infected with Angiostrongylus vasorum.''' ''J Vet Med A Physiol Pathol Clin Med. 2006 Jun;53(5):266-9.''</ref>.

==Treatment==

==Treatment==

Oxygen should be administered to animals with dyspnoea by nasal catheter, flow by or mask and low dose aspirin can be administered to animals considered to be at risk of developing pulmonary thromboembolism.

'''Oxygen''' should be administered to animals with dyspnoea by nasal catheter, flow by or mask and '''low dose aspirin''' can be administered to animals considered to be at risk of developing pulmonary thromboembolism.

Infection with ''Angiostrongylus vasorum'' may be treated easily with suitable anthelmintics.  Ideally, four 5 day courses of a [[Benzimidazoles|benzimidazole]] should be administered at a high dose rate over 1-2 months.  '''Fenbendazole''' is widely available in the UK in a granule form and this is used most frequently in the treatment of ''A. vasorum''.  If infection is suspected but larvae cannot be detected in faeces, it may still be worth treating the animal.

Infection with ''Angiostrongylus vasorum'' may be treated easily with suitable anthelmintics.  Ideally, four 5 day courses of a [[Benzimidazoles|benzimidazole]] should be administered at a high dose rate over 1-2 months.  '''Fenbendazole''' is widely available in the UK in a granule form and this is used most frequently in the treatment of ''A. vasorum''.  If infection is suspected but larvae cannot be detected in faeces, it may still be worth treating the animal.

==Prevention==

==Prevention==

With increasing awareness of the threat posed by ''A. vasorum'' and with increasing prevalence across the UK, preventative treatment is now used more widely.  Suitable products include:

With increasing awareness of the threat posed by ''A. vasorum'' and with increasing prevalence across the UK, preventative treatment is now used more widely.  Suitable products include the spot-on of imidacloprid/moxidectin<ref>Schnyder M, Fahrion A, Ossent P, Kohler L, Webster P, Heine J, Deplazes P. '''Larvicidal effect of imidacloprid/moxidectin spot-on solution in dogs experimentally inoculated with Angiostrongylus vasorum.''' ''Vet Parasitol. 2009 Dec 23;166(3-4):326-32. Epub 2009 Sep 17.''</ref>.

==Prognosis==

==Prognosis==

==References==

==References==