Could Pet Dog Have Spirocera Lupi?

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A reader recently reached out to us from Rehovot, Israel. She explained that her dog has been acting a little strange lately. She is a veterinarian student, and yesterday saw a picture of a Spirocera Lupi, more commonly known as a Park Worm, and is worried that her dog might have come into contact with this dangerous worm.

She explained that she found three worms on her shower floor that resembled Park Worms. When she picked them up they coiled up into a spiral. She then threw  them into the garden, where they dove head first into the soil. She provided a great description of these critters: 2 centimeters long, round, thin, bright pink, moved faster than an earthworm, had no legs. She doesn’t know of any other worms that fit the description of what she found, and is nervous because if her dog somehow ate Park Worms it will need to start intense treatment immediately. She wants to know the probability of the worms she found being Park Worms.

According to the Veterinary Center Ramat-Hasharon, Park Worm is a fatal and widespread disease caused by Spirocera Lupi, and is one of the most common causes of death of canines in Israel. Dogs usually become infected by eating dung beetles that have been infected by these worms, not by eating the worms themselves. Symptoms include vomiting, sudden death, paralysis, and other nerve problems.
We aren’t sure what kind of worms our reader found in her shower and threw into the garden. Although she provided a great description, we don’t feel comfortable making an identification on a potentially life threatening situation. Since we are not veterinarian professionals, we encourage our reader to take her dog to the vet immediately to get checked out.
To summarize, a reader in Israel is nervous that her dog has been infected with Park Worm. We recommend that she take her dog to the vet as soon as possible.

 

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Could Pet Dog Have Spirocera Lupi?
Description
A reader in Israel is nervous that her dog has been infected with Park Worm. We recommend that she take her dog to the vet as soon as possible.
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Author: Worm Researcher Dori

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