Abstract
Infection with Angiostrongylus vasorum was diagnosed at necropsy on a dog that died from acute pulmonary haemorrhage, and on recovery of L1 larvae by Baermann examination of faeces from two dogs, one of which had abdominal pain and retroperitoneal haemorrhage, while the other had right-sided heart failure due to cor pulmonale. The presenting signs included syncope (one dog), exercise intolerance (two dogs), cough (two dogs), abdominal pain (one dog) and depression (one dog). One-stage prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time were prolonged in two dogs, buccal mucosal bleeding time was prolonged in one dog and globulin was elevated in all three dogs. Two dogs were treated with fenbendazole and recovered.
Highlights
Angiostrongylus vasorum, a metastrongylid nematode which parasitises domestic dogs and other Canidae, has an indirect lifecycle requiring gastropods as intermediate hosts (Bolt et al, 1994)
This paper presents the clinical signs, diagnosis, treatment and outcome of three dogs with A. vasorum infection referred to the University Veterinary Hospital (UVH) of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin during 2001/2002
The majority of dogs with angiostrongylosis reported in the literature have been young (Martin et al, 1993) and our cases were less than two years of age (17 to 23 months old)
Summary
Angiostrongylus vasorum, a metastrongylid nematode which parasitises domestic dogs and other Canidae, has an indirect lifecycle requiring gastropods (snails, slugs) as intermediate hosts (Bolt et al, 1994). Migration to the right heart and pulmonary arteries occurs via the hepatic portal vein, liver and caudal vena cava (Bolt et al, 1994) This final migration and maturation to adulthood takes approximately 10 days to complete (Rosen et al, 1970). The dog had been treated with 2mg/kg vitamin K1 (Konakion, Roche) and marbofloxacin (Marbocyl, Vétoquinol) for three days prior to referral, as anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning was suspected, but there had been no improvement. On clinical examination, he was in poor body condition (weight 8kg), depressed and tachypnoeic. Fresh frozen plasma was administered at 20ml/kg and given over 1.5 hours and 5mg/kg of vitamin K1 was administered per os
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