Scotland’s largest independent veterinary group, Thrums Vets, is appealing to dog owners in Angus and Perthshire to donate a sample of their pet’s poop for a research project that will examine the prevalence of worms in the local area.
Dog owners can collect a sample pot from any of Thrums’ four practices in Kirriemuir, Blairgowrie, Forfar and Scone and donate a pea sized poo sample by the 31st December 2024. They will also be asked about their pet’s worming history and crucially the study is open to dogs that are regularly wormed as well as those that are not.
The sample will then be tested by IDEXX Laboratories, which is a global leader in pet healthcare innovation, to see whether the pet has intestinal worms and, if so, what type. It’s free of charge to participate and every dog owner will receive a unique report on their pet’s worming status.
As well as revealing how prevalent worms are in the local area, the research will help to determine whether the frequency that vets advise that worming treatments are given to dogs, should be increased, decreased or remain the same.
Gavin Durston, a director from Thrums, explained: “Worms can be a nasty parasite for dogs and they can have them without anyone knowing. They can come from a wide range of sources and in most cases they are ingested, although certain types, such as hookworms, can penetrate the dog’s skin and they can easily spread from dogs to humans.
“Vets generally advise that adult dogs should be wormed every one to three months, but there’s a risk that the treatments could become less effective if they’re used too regularly because worms could build up a resistance to them. Depending on the results of this research, it may be possible for dog owners to reduce the amount of worming treatments they give their pets, or replace them with regular testing, which would save money and mean treatments aren’t being used unnecessarily.
“Equally, if we discover that certain types of worms are rampant locally, we could also look at tailoring treatments and introducing a risk-based approach to worming.”
Finally, Gavin said: “Ideally, we want to test hundreds of dogs as part of this study, including those that are regularly wormed as well as those that aren’t, to get a clear picture of how prevalent worms are in Angus and Perthshire, which will enable us to plan for the next three to five years and ensure that the local dog population is as healthy as possible.”
For further information, contact vets@thrumsvet.co.uk or call 01575 572643.
