Britain's dog population in danger from killer parasite spread by foxes

First topic message reminder :

Foxes are helping to spread a potentially fatal parasite that is threatening Britain's dog population, researchers have warned.
Up to 50 per cent of foxes are infected with lungworm, whose larvae can be found in the bodies and slime of slugs and snails.
Once swallowed by a dog, the parasite travels through its body to end up in the heart causing sickness and possibly death.
A study by University of Bristol scientists found that lungworm was now present in more than one in 10 foxes (18.3 per cent) in the UK.
The worm's prevalence was significantly higher than it was in 2008, when an earlier study showed 7.3 per cent of foxes to be infected.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/pets-health/11872830/Britains-dog-population-in-danger-from-killer-parasite-spread-by-foxes.html

or her mouth

Sassy, I used to have the Shooting Times, there were many articles about Lung worm In hunting dogs, I don't have a dog so I know as much about Lung Worm as you know about Osbourn's supposed Coke habit. How you get away with saying he is a addict I don't know. A clear case of Libel and Ben should put a stop to it.

Every day I have to block Sassy's huge signatures. They change several times, although it only takes a couple of clicks to get rid of them. She's doing it on purpose of course to clutter the forum up.

I agree about the coke thing as well.

Cuchulain wrote:

Vicar Of Dibley wrote:It's the nature of foxes to kill to eat just the same as dogs  cats any wild animal will kill to eat .

By killing all 15 hens?

I do not think so, that is not out of necessity to eat.

were you there lol

Raggamuffin wrote:Every day I have to block Sassy's huge signatures. They change several times, although it only takes a couple of clicks to get rid of them. She's doing it on purpose of course to clutter the forum up.

I block them daily also

If a Fox gets into a small space,ie a hen coop, the hens will panic and flutter all over the place. This gets the Fox so excited he will run around and bite any hen he can get at. Some hens can have heart attacks and die of fright.

nicko wrote:If a Fox gets into a small space,ie  a hen coop,   the hens will panic and flutter all over the place. This gets the Fox so excited he will run around and bite any hen he can get at.   Some hens can have heart attacks and die of fright.

Happens with most animals when faced with their preditors unfortunately.

the real problem is the urban fox population, which is rapidly increasing, and can be shown to be increasingly diseased, with multiple diseases present ...

Now you aint going to get rid of THEM by "hunting"(with horse and hound) I rather suspect that there are, to say the least, a few logistical problems to such an approach.

however I would suggest that the urban fox population is in serious need of controlling, and sooner rather than later....

Now dont get me wrong, I've said this consistantly for a while now, the townies are (once again) "getting what they deserve" they can have em....and I hope...when there is a serious problem, the local authorities of these blasted places are unable to find the required men to deal with the problem....

We have a situation where certain "animal rescue" societies are KNOWN...without shadow of doubt, to take (rescue) urban fox cubs....HAND REAR THEM and then release them into the "wild)...right into fields that have lambs and lambing ewes in them.....
Having been hand reared, these foxes have no natural hunting skills, so of course target the lambs....however equally, they have no fear of humans either...so are easily dealt with by those of us who are tasked by our farmers to control vermin on their land.... I shot 3 a while back 100 yrds from the release point at a range of less than 40 yards.... 1....2.....3

the idiots doing the release went ape...called the cops....the cops turned up ...and said ....and???? what do you expect.....???????? there are lambs out here....this guy (me) is doing what is wanted of him by the land owner....
and sent em scuttling back to their van.....crack on he says to me...and off he went....


Now sexy...what makes you think I support the so called sport of fox hunting (with horse and hound)...I dont, even sassy is aware of that....the unspeakable after the uneatable....

however shot with a properly powerful rifle at appropriate range there is and can be no debate.....foxes are NOT cute, fluffy bundles of joy as put forth by that idiot Disney....
they are at best, a pest....at worst a disease ridden mangy and viscious predator....(and the urban ones most of all...in short ....vermin....

That said , neither do I think they need "wipeing out" what is needed is their numbers controlling....in a propper manner...


@ Sassy...yes the fox does spread the lung worm...

worms cannot infect other worms...it has to go through a meat eater first....
most dogs are NOT spreading it...as the number of infected dogs is relatively low...

SO....if the dogs dont significantly spread it....where does the SECOND generation of slugs get it from...

IF it wasnt for the fox (and badgers come to that, but thats yet another story... ) the level of infected slugs would be much lower....., and hence the risk to dogs much less....

Oh and heres a nice thought...YOU can get them too, from handling the slugs or their slime trail


(why do women have legs??????

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
ever seen the mess a slug makes???????

sassy wrote:

Cuchulain wrote:I suggest you read again..

Up to 50 per cent of foxes are infected with lungworm, whose larvae can be found in the bodies and slime of slugs and snails.
Once swallowed by a dog, the parasite travels through its body to end up in the heart causing sickness and possibly death.
Further research has confirmed that lungworm can be transmitted to dogs that lick the slime trails left by slugs, not only by accidentally swallowing slugs and snails. The parasite's larvae are excreted in dog faeces.

So?  That advice has been given to dog owners for at least 30 years to my knowledge.  The carriers are the snails, and of course as part of the dog family, foxes will also be infected the same way.  But the foxes don't pass it on to dogs, the foxes get infected by snails exactly the same way dogs do.

I must admit, I was slightly confused ny this too! I've known about lungworm for years as my mum breeds, keeps and shows show dogs and is in the "doggy world" as it were

Lungworm has been around years not sure what the fox connection is tbh?.