A vet at Wombourne & Gornal Veterinary Centres has been helping raise the public’s awareness of Lungworm, following a recent case that nearly proved fatal for a family’s much loved pet dog, Bear.

BBC’s regional news programme, Midlands Today, interviewed vet Kal Kyuranov MRCVS to help highlight how nasty lungworm is but how simple it is to protect your pets from it.

When Kal examined Bear, it was clear that he was very poorly and his stomach was full of fluid and blood. He needed an emergency operation to drain it. During the emergency operation, Kal realised that Bear had a very serious lungworm infestation.

Lungworm (Angiostrongylus vasorum) is a parasitic worm that can be carried by dogs and foxes. Despite its name, the lungworm parasite resides in the heart and blood vessels of an infected animal where it lays eggs that get carried to the lungs. If a dog becomes infected, it can make them very ill and, quite often, proves to be fatal.

It was touch and go for Bear, but the Wombourne team worked, with his owners, to fight the lungworm and nurse Bear back to health.

Kal said,

“I am very grateful that Bear survived and that I have been able to help raise awareness of Lungworm risks in our area I will continue to promote the prevention of this horrible disease.”