So some of you will remember the story that was posted a while back that contained a lab momma with 8 puppies and then the beautiful girl now known as Gabby. Gabby is finally at her wonderful new home with Chery in NC and I took in the mom and puppies. First off, I've never fostered a litter of puppies before and WHOA! It sure is a heck of a lot of work. :)
The puppies are now at the age where they can be adopted out. Out of the 8, I have 6 of them pre-adopted. Only 2 to go!
Momma, now known as Angel, needed a home too. She is a very special dog and deserved a special home. She has been through so much in her short life and now it's her turn for a special home. This weekend, I thought I found just the place. A very nice lady came to visit Angel and decided to adopt her. So this morning I took Angel to the vet's office to have her work done. Angel would then be going to her new forever home.
Well, my day got shot down when I received a call from the vet's office telling me that Angel is heartworm positive. :( :( Apparently, she is very infected and needs to be treated right away. As most of you know, the treatment is very expensive. After I called the adoptive family to see what they said, they are now thinking they will pass on adopting her. They say they don't have the money to do this treatment right away.
So now I'm back to bringing Angel home with me (which is fine because she is a GREAT dog) and trying to figure out how to do this treatment.
I'm just really bummed out about this turn of events. My house has been crazy lately with the 8 puppies running around and I thought I could at least get mom into an atmosphere where she was the one getting all the attention. Guess that has to wait.....
Thanks for letting me vent. Anyone who has been through this experience have words of encouragement?

Here are some pictures of Angel :)

http://usera.ImageCave.com/conyers33/Rescues/100_6482.jpg

http://usera.ImageCave.com/conyers33/Rescues/100_6682.jpg

I don't have any experience treating a HW+ dog, but I do know that things seem to happen to the members here for a reason and I think that Angel is in a good place with you.

I will be thinking good thoughts for your girl.

I fostered a HW positive girl but was lucky that the treatment was paid for by donations. I do know there is a new method that takes longer but might not be so costly. I believe it is using a form of antibiotic that gradually kills the worms. You might want to ask your vet about this. Good luck with it all, I'm sure something good will come of it all.

Maybe you can have a fund raiser for her treatment?? Connect with Pet Smart in your area and ask them if they would let you have a table on a Saturday where you can have her and maybe the remaining pups....(the cuter the better) and solicit donations. Just a thought.

sad. i cant believe she wasnt tested before now,.

You can do it.

I say this not so you feel sorry for me, but my Smooch, 11 year old GOlden Ret. just had TPLO surgery on her right hind knee on Wed. and the cost of the surgery alone was $3600.00

The only way Ken and I could do this is the vet has a credit card appl w/Wells Fargo and you can get free interest for a year. They also have other plans too.

Angel is just beautiful.

Are you a rescue-can you get a rescue discount?

I am sorry to hear this. Poor girl - how much does the treatment cost?

Yes I am with a rescue and we are getting a discount. The total treatment is going to be around $300. And I understand that isn't a lot to some people but these days it's a lot to someone like me.
The lady who was adopting Angel has now said she can't afford the treatment so she has backed down.
I really need to get all her puppies adopted out so that she can relax and not be thinking about them all the time. Anyone interested in an adorable black lab mix puppy? :D

I fostered a HW positive girl but was lucky that the treatment was paid for by donations. I do know there is a new method that takes longer but might not be so costly. I believe it is using a form of antibiotic that gradually kills the worms. You might want to ask your vet about this. Good luck with it all, I'm sure something good will come of it all.

I think you may be referring to Doxycycline. It is used in conjunction with the HW treatment. Antibiotics won't kill the worms, but it kills a parasite that lives in the heartworms. Treatment with doxycycline for 30 days to kill the Wolbachia parasite weakens the heartworms and makes them unable to reproduce, and greatly reduces the chance of adverse reaction during heartworm treatment.

Have you checked with Labrador Life Line for funding assistance? Or there are several members who are great at setting up a ChipIN.

We'll help you get mom through this.:angel:

I think you may be referring to Doxycycline. It is used in conjunction with the HW treatment. Antibiotics won't kill the worms, but it kills a parasite that lives in the heartworms. Treatment with doxycycline for 30 days to kill the Wolbachia parasite weakens the heartworms and makes them unable to reproduce, and greatly reduces the chance of adverse reaction during heartworm treatment.

Have you checked with Labrador Life Line for funding assistance? Or there are several members who are great at setting up a ChipIN.

We'll help you get mom through this.:angel:

I'm sorry I'm not familiar with the Labrador Life Line. Can someone tell me what that does?
Thanks for all the help. Some people are telling me that she's too far gone in order for the treatment to do good. I keep hearing stories about how horrible the treatment is for dogs in her position.
I guess that usually when a dog is HW +, they show one blip on the screen. Angel showed two....whatever that means.
Again, I've never had a dog that is HW + so I'm learning everything for the first time. I feel like an ignorant person here.....but I'm trying to learn.

Somewhere there is a softer cloud, a brighter halo, and a better tuned harp for those that did rescue in this life.

I think you may be referring to Doxycycline. It is used in conjunction with the HW treatment. Antibiotics won't kill the worms, but it kills a parasite that lives in the heartworms. Treatment with doxycycline for 30 days to kill the Wolbachia parasite weakens the heartworms and makes them unable to reproduce, and greatly reduces the chance of adverse reaction during heartworm treatment.

Have you checked with Labrador Life Line for funding assistance? Or there are several members who are great at setting up a ChipIN.

We'll help you get mom through this.:angel:


IT WILL GET DONE~ I promise this part of the board willl come together and it will be taken care of~


Somewhere there is a softer cloud, a brighter halo, and a better tuned harp for those that did rescue in this life.


SO TRUE

OMG...Angel is just beautiful..It is so hard to believe that she is HW positive.

Please don't give up on her. What's important is that she gets the proper treatment. Was the Vet optimistic regarding her recovery?

I could certainly donate toward her care... Please PM me.

Lily

hang in there!!!

I'm sorry I'm not familiar with the Labrador Life Line. Can someone tell me what that does?
Thanks for all the help. Some people are telling me that she's too far gone in order for the treatment to do good. I keep hearing stories about how horrible the treatment is for dogs in her position.
I guess that usually when a dog is HW +, they show one blip on the screen. Angel showed two....whatever that means.
Again, I've never had a dog that is HW + so I'm learning everything for the first time. I feel like an ignorant person here.....but I'm trying to learn.

Labrador Life Line, Inc. is a 501(c) (3) Not for Profit Organization created to help owners or rescuers of Labrador Retrievers who are in need of financial assistance. Here's their website http://www.labradorlifeline.org/
Mykal-inSpirit (Teri) is on the board.
You can read the requirements on the site--they provide $$ for medical bills of PB labs when they approve the case.

HW infestation can be mild (when caught early) or if left over time it can be really serious. Another member here is just about to begin treatment for a lab from GA who they said down there was in the worst stage. I'll know more tomorrow what the vet in IN says about her, but he doesn't write-off any case like some vets do.
The Doxycycline can make the treatment easier on the dog and modifying the treatment can make a huge difference too. Lower dosage of the meds spread out weekly versus 2 strong doses 24 hrs apart is easier on the dog, although it does take longer.
How old is she? Did they take xrays to see if her heart is enlarged?

let me know if you get a chip in account, or I could
mail you a check.
Angel is beautiful and the puppies are adorable, and
I would love one, but hubby isnt ready. Plus, we are
in MA.
You are an angel yourself doing what you did, thank you !

Is the forever home willing to wait 4 weeks post treatment for her? (At least 7 weeks with 2 weeks of doxy a week break and then treatment) Our rescue does not place a hw+ dog, even if the dog has found a new home, until after the treatment. Working with a rescue, I would assume it would be the rescue's financial burden - we could all chip in to the rescue - it should not reside with the foster to bear the financial burden.

Once the dog is treatment for the hw, she should be able to lead a normal doggie life! Hopefully the interested adopters will stick around for her. If not, it was not meant to be and a better situation will come about for her!

Oh you guys are angels!! Thank you so much for all of the encouragement and good words. It truly helps. :)

As for what the vet said, I can only tell you that they really want me to do the treatment. They really didn't tell me much besides that she had 2 blips show up on the screen. I am truly not that surprised though because I don't believe Angel had the best life before being taken in by Animal Control and then coming home with me. I definitely want to do the treatment. She is waaaaay too good of a dog to give up on. I truly hope her puppies get homes quickly so she can start resting in peace and not worrying about them all the time.

Her potential adoptive family did pass on her. The lady was very heartbroken but didn't think it would work for her. I'm not gonna pass judgement because it was her call but I know Angel has a great home out there waiting for her!

For those of you willing to donate, God bless you. I am totally the type of person that refuses to take money from people but this isn't about me. It's about Angel and her getting healthy again. It will completely strap me to take an extra $300 out of my account that wasn't planned so I appreciate any help that can be given. I don't know anything about a "chip in" account so I'm afraid I don't know how to do that.

I think someone asked how old the vet thought she was. I was told that she was 5 years old.

Nell, would you mind setting up a ChipIn since you've done it before?
Or the other thing we could do is call in an amt on cc to your vet the day of treatment.

HW treatments aren't fun.

We had a toy poodle who had the 2 "dots" show up on his test.

he was injected with Arsenic, then 4 weeks of crate rest, then another treatment, and more crate rest, then finally, he was given a HW preventative, they kept him overnight, and we gradually re-introduced activity to him. he did fine!