Emmie was dumped at a high kill shelter by her owners after they were through breeding her… an adorable girl about 35-40 lbs., and she needed a lot of help, so we pulled her. She was terribly thin, plus she tested positive for heartworm which we are treating.
The cost of heart worm treatment is about $600+ and it’s long-term (about 6 months) from start to finish with the dog needing a quiet place to recover. The drugs needed to treat include an antibiotic which is now quite expensive, heart worm preventative drugs, and immiticide, the drug that kills the adult heart worms.
Without the treatment, the dog will eventually die, as the heart is literally choked with these worms. It is caused by the bite of an infected mosquito, so it’s not contagious from dog to dog, but heart worm preventative is the way to fend off this parasite, and so many people just don’t take that initiative.
Emmie is an older dog who had a tough life, and to be able to treat dogs like her, and give them that second chance at life, literally, is wonderful.
Emmie’s pet listing can seen here.