I WONDER if it would be possible for you to spread the word about the risks of Spirocerca Lupi.
This is a very urgent matter.
My son and his family have just lost their beloved German Shepherd who seemingly overnight went from being a perfectly healthy animal to one that could not keep any food down.
After being diagnosed with Spirocerca Lupi by the local vet and following a long and traumatic effort to save his life, he was put to sleep on 4 December.
The family is heart-broken.
What makes the situation even more agonising is the knowledge that the dog’s suffering could have been prevented if only they had known about Spirocerca and treated him with the right de-wormer prior to infection.
There are only two products that prevent Spirocerca by killing the worm: Milbemax tablets and Advocate top spot.
By the time the dog shows clinical signs of infection, there is usually nothing that can be done to save the dog’s life. Spirocerca is a death sentence.
I live in Kloof so am, unbeknown to me, in the heart of a Spirocerca risk area. I have a 10 year old German Shepherd x Husky and although I didn’t know it, I have been putting his life at risk by buying the wrong dewormer for 10 years.
The only people who seem to know about Spirocerca, outside the veterinary fraternity, are those who have lost pets because of it and so have learned about it the hard way.
It seems to me that the only way more suffering and loss can be prevented is for the dangers of Spirocerca to be widely publicised throughout the Upper Highway area.
Thank goodness Spirocerca does not seem to affect cats and no cases have been identified.
Mandy Crerar of Kitten Action
Kloof
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