Heartworm positive

Three weeks ago we drove across Country with our three dogs and the cat. The trip went smoothly and last week I took the dogs in to get them on heartworm preventive as needed in Virginia. I was shocked to learn that Mowgli tested positive for heartworms. I had a more extensive test done and that also confirmed the news. He was adopted a year and a half ago in January from a shelter in Buena Vista CO (9000 ft. elevation) and was about 10 months old. He was never tested. Where he came from we don't know and, in hindsight, we should have tested. I live at 7200 ft.elevation and have never needed to use preventive. I am lucky that he did not infect my other two dogs.... He will be going in to start treatment tomorrow morning. I hope he will be well in time and be able to deal with the treatment. My sweet boy.....

I know I will have to keep him calm and minimize exercise, if anyone has additional advice, it will be appreciated.

0 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Cathie on January 24, 2013 at 1:50pm

Very good to hear Mowgli is doing well after the treatment!

"Where he came from we don't know and, in hindsight, we should have tested."

This bears repeating, because it seems fairly common for animals to be transported between shelters. You often can't know every place a dog might have lived before you got it...unless you are the original owner.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Beth on January 24, 2013 at 3:01pm

So glad to hear he's doing well!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Anna Morelli on January 24, 2013 at 4:07pm

Thank you everybody for rejoicing with me. Cathie is right in highlighting my previous words about always testing. In Mowgli's case we knew he belonged to a family in Buena Vista because he had been picked up by the police several times as a stray and ultimately taken from his owners because of accumulated fines and neglect. He didn't even have puppy shots......My guess is that he contracted heartworms wherever he originally came from, probably some puppy mill. I am lucky our travel circumstances played out in his favor and that we could intervene before more serious damage occurred to him. All's well that ends well, now I can relax.