To help vet practices educate pet owners, Elanco, the maker of Advocate, is launching a new Lungworm Awareness Toolkit

Lungworm (Angiostrongylus vasorum) is endemic across the UK and its prevalence is increasing^1,2. The reasons for the expansion of lungworm’s range are not fully understood although foxes have been implicated and the increased prevalence of A. vasorum in these animals has been well documented.

Another theory for the spread is the movement of dogs around the country due to, for example, moving house, holidays or visiting second homes.

Despite the potential serious threat of lungworm to pets, a recent survey revealed that almost half of dog owners (42%)³ don’t know what lungworm is or how dogs can be affected by it and, worryingly, less than a quarter of participants³ (21%) said their dog was up to date with preventative treatment.

With more people planning trips away with their dogs in the coming months, now is a great time to raise awareness of the risks of lungworm to your clients and other pet owners in your area, to encourage them to keep up-to-date with their recommended parasite treatment, and to shine the spotlight on the parasite preventative work that your practice is doing.

To give you a head start, Elanco has created the Lungworm Awareness Toolkit to help your veterinary practice create its own lungworm awareness campaign.

The toolkit contains:

• a social media guide along with ready-to-use posts – helping you to create compelling content, as well as giving you tips on how to navigate through the various platforms and channels, picking the right ones for your customers
• a PR guide – with step-by-step instructions on how to create a compelling press release
• a template press release – a “fill in the gaps” document that will guide you through the process of writing a news release that will make a splash
• a range of materials you can use to support your stories including posters, leaflets, ready-made social media posts, and direct-to-pet owner campaigns

Whether you are experienced in running awareness campaigns, or starting from scratch, there is something in the toolkit for everyone. It is designed to save you time by making it as easy as possible for you to select the parts that are right for you.

So, no need to hold back – get your lungworm message out to your community whichever way works for you. Access the toolkit today at MyElanco or speak to your Elanco sales representative.

 

^{Elanco and the diagonal bar logo are trademarks of Elanco or its affiliates.
@2022 Elanco or its affiliates. PM-IE-22-0136. Date of preparation 04/22.}