Revealed: Where dangerous parasite has been reported in Norfolk
Pet and I has revealed where cases of lungworm have been reported in Norfolk - Credit: copyright: Archant 2014
Dog owners across Norfolk have revealed where their pooches have caught a potentially deadly parasite.
Lungworm is a type of parasitic worm which affects dogs and foxes and lives in the heart and major blood vessels supplying the lungs.
A total of 38 cases have been reported within a 50-mile radius of Norwich with areas around the city and Fakenham the worst affected.
A map showing the hotspots in Norfolk for lungworm infection, a deadly parasite that infects dogs - Credit: My Pet and I
Other areas with reported cases include King's Lynn, Thetford and Hunstanton.
The data has been compiled by pet health company, Pet and I, and comes as vets in the country warn of the dangers of the parasite amid rising rates of infection.
Dog health experts, The Kennel Club, said: "Lungworm is not passed directly from dog to dog but through eating infected slugs and snails or from the slime trail covering food and water bowls.
"The infection is then secreted in the dog's faeces, which is also a means of transmitting the infection.
"After infection, lungworm can cause progressively worsening cardiac and respiratory disease, such as coughing, bleeding in the lungs, liver, intestines, eyes and spinal cord and elsewhere in the body.
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"If left untreated it can be fatal."
Symptoms can include weight loss, breathing difficulties, coughing up blood, poor appetite and more.
A number of treatments are available from vets and once dogs are diagnosed and treated, most make a full recovery.
The Kennel Club added: "To help take preventative action, be extra vigilant when walking your dog to keep away from slugs and snails and make sure to pick up your dog's poo and dispose of it correctly."
