Save Our Lives!

These dogs desperately need to fostered for heartworm treatment.  It's a 3 to 6 month commitment, but it will save the dog's life!  We can provide supplies, medications, and vet appointments, but we need families to provide transportation to the appointments and a calm, very low stress, comfortable environment for the dogs.  Can you or someone you know help foster a dog?

sky

ember

hannah



mango



puppy



Please call Jessica at 754-1510 for more information.

 

Heartworm is a parasitic roundworm that is spread from host to host through the bites of mosquitoes.  The most common host animal is the dog, but cats, wolves, coyotes, foxes, and other animals have been known to become infected as well.  Although the disease is called heartworm, the worms primarily manifest in the lung vessels and tissue and will sometimes migrate into the heart and major veins.

 

Many dogs will show no signs of infection until several months in, when the worms have reached their adult stage.  Active dogs and those with heavy infections will shows signs such as coughing upon exercise, exhaustion during exercise, weight loss, fainting, coughing blood, or even congestive heart failure. 

 

The treatment is very hard on the body (especially the heart and lungs) so our dogs can't exert themselves during this time.  They will need to be leashed walked in your yard to use the bathroom only and kept calm and confined in the home.  Any exertion could cause dead worms to break loose in the lungs and potentially cause serious respiratory problems.

 

It is important to note that heartworm is a preventable disease.  Dogs who receive regular doses of preventative medicine from their vets have a 99% success rate for protection from the disease.  In consistently warm regions such as Hawaii, continuous preventative medicine is strongly recommended.

 

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirofilaria_immitis

Thankfully, heartworm is also a treatable disease.  We are asking for your help to save the lives of these animals in need.  Please pass the word on to everyone you know!