LUNGWORM AND DOGS
Lungworm is endemic throughout much of the UK and is potentially life threatening, with many dogs at risk of infection every day. In a recent survey of vets, 30% said they have seen at least 1 lungworm death in the last five years. However, 63% of UK dog owners say that their dog has never received preventative treatment1.
On this page you can check the number of reported cases in your area, find resources to raise awareness of lungworm, educate pet owners on the risks, and find tools to help you talk to your clients about the need for monthly prevention.
LUNGWORM MAP
Check the lungworm map to see reported Angiostrongylus vasorum cases in your area - just enter a postcode or location. Note: This list is not exhaustive. Only reported cases are shown.
Direct pet owners to the My Pet & I website website to check risk in their area.
What is the Elanco Lungworm Map?
The Lungworm Map shows the number of lungworm cases reported by vets, nurses and pet owners in the UK, and whether the cases were confirmed by diagnostic tests or suspected.
Why track reported Lungworm cases?
Lungworm has been shown to be spreading across the UK – though original cases were reported in the South of England, there have now been reports as far as Scotland and the North of England2. Collecting Lungworm cases allows us to see the incidence rate of Lungworm infections in the UK providing information on the geographical risk of the parasite. The map has been in use for 15 years and in that time we have collected over 2,200 cases, although this is just a snapshot of what is out there.
LUNGWORM SURVEY
To understand more about what pet owners know about lungworm and how they treat it, we spoke to 100 vets and 500 pet owners across the UK1. According to the results…
30% of vets have seen at least 1 lungworm death in the last five years, and 87% of vets in the UK have seen at least 1 case of lungworm in their career.
However, 63% of dog owners say they have never given their dog preventative treatment and 79% of dog owners don’t know that lungworm prevention should be given monthly.
23% of dog owners don’t know any symptoms of lungworm and only 35% of owners think that they have spoken to someone at their vet practice about lungworm.
68% of dog owners often see their dog eating grass, so slugs and snails could easily be ingested without them knowing.
MATERIALS
Your local Elanco Territory Business Manager can provide you with campaign materials for your practice. Engage your clients in the You Won't See Lungworm Coming campaign with clinic posters, display kits and leaflets. We can also discuss how we can support you with direct-to-client awareness campaigns.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media can be time consuming alongside everything else in practice, but it is a great way to communicate with clients and provide reminders of important topics. Our social media toolkit contains ready-to-use posts designed to educate clients about lungworm, as well as a step-by-step guide to using social media for your business. The kit includes gifs and images along with suggested text to make them quick and easy to post.
Visit the Act Against Lungworm social media page download the free lungworm social media toolkit.
SUPPORT
Advocate™
Advocate™ provides 100% lungworm prevention for dogs with just one monthly dose. Trusted for over 15 years, it kills lungworm larvae before they can cause harm.
ACT Against Lungworm Social Media Toolkit
Use our pre-made social media posts to raise lungworm awareness with your clients.
Advocate Lungworm Map
A map of the UK and Ireland showing the number of reported cases of potentially fatal lungworm in dogs (pdf)
Advocate™ contains imidacloprid and moxidectin and is indicated for use in cats, ferrets and dogs suffering from, or at risk from, mixed parasitic infections. Legal category POM-V (UK). Refer to the product packaging and leaflets for information about side effects, precautions, warnings and contraindications. Prescription decisions are for the person issuing the prescription alone.
Advocate™, Elanco™ and the diagonal bar are trademarks of Elanco or its affiliates.
