Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Heartworms stink!

LBR alum Cooper just started treatment for his yucky heartworms. Doesn't he look miserable?


Do you know how they treat heartworms? Momma said she had no idea until she started with rescue. Luckily I never had to be treated, but Cinderella did and she told me it was awful. They have a great big giant needle that they stick right into your hip, and then they basically inject poison into you. They do it once, let you rest for a day or so, and then do it again! After that, you feel really yucky and miserable while the poison starts to work on your wormies. It kills the wormies and starts breaking them up into pieces that you cough up. So you can have a really nasty-sounding cough! Plus during the time the wormies are breaking up, you have to be really careful not to make your heart beat too fast. That can make the wormie pieces clump together into a clot, and that means you might have a heart attack or a stroke! Brrr. You basically have to stay on crate rest for weeks -- and that's torture to a dog like a boxer!

Can you believe that humans still make dogs go through all that when they could just give us one little pill a month to stop it? I hope all your humans give you heartworm preventative every single month. It's too important to skip!



I'm participating in the Dog Days of Summer photo challenge! Today's theme is "With friends," so I'm sharing one of my favorite pictures from last year's Wags & Waves event. Look at my biiiiig new furiend!




TODAY's EVENTS:
DRAW YOUR PEEPS: INDIGO
SMACKDOWN: FRIENDS FUREVER
SQUIRREL HURDLES: BAILEY & KATY
SNACK SACK RACE: LULU 
finally, LBR is hosting its first-ever Legacy Summer Athletic Competition on Facebook! We have a bunch of pawsome boxer-y events that we're holding every day of the human Olympics, from wrestling to swimming to gymnastics. And through it all, we're trying to raise money to help with little Napoli's vet bills, plus help other LBR dogs. We set goal amounts at brindle ($5,000), white ($10,000), and fawn ($15,000). We've already raised almost enough for a white medal, but WE WANT THE FAWN!!!

You can donate via ChipIn link OR to LBR's main website! Today's event is Gymnastics - Balance Beam, so be sure to check out LBR's Facebook page to see all the grreat entries!

13 comments:

  1. Awwww poor Cooper, he does look really sad but its good that he has started treatment for his heartworms! They are yucky!
    I agree that everyone should give their doggys a heartworm preventative rather than go through that horrible treatment!
    The photo of the Wags & Waves event looks like it was so much fun!
    I'm not on Facebook but the event sounds wonderful, good luck with the fund raisisng!
    Love, Licks and Hugs from Frank xxxxxxxx

    ReplyDelete
  2. Casey we did not know the treatment for heart worms was so horrible and scary. It is such an easy thing to prevent but there are still stooopid 2 leggers out there not willing to take that extra step with their precious babies. Smooches to Cooper.
    Hugs Madi

    ReplyDelete
  3. Aww, poor guy! Here are some healing thoughts and prayers coming your way!

    Shelle, Milo, Dixie and Newby,
    http://simpaticodreams.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  4. Poor Cooper...Mom didn't know the treatment was like that at all...It made us all sad to read about it...stay strong cooper we are cheering for you!!
    Hugs From Pugs
    Stella Rose

    ReplyDelete
  5. Awww. Poor Cooper! We became educated on the heartworm treatment when my parents adopted their dog Bosco. Bless his heart, he has the WORST breath that we think came from the heartworms (Vet says dentals are all good). We eat our pills with no problem and Mom gives us lots of praises.

    OMD, that was a big dog you met Casey!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Casey,

    You are so right, preventin' heartworms is so easy to do, we get our pill on da first of every month, dey even taste good too. :)
    We will be sendin' Cooper our very best boxer puppy prayers to help him feel better and get through his treatment smoothly. Can't wait to see fotos of him jumpin' around and all wiggle butt happy again!

    Woofs and Licks,
    Maggie Mae and Max

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh, Casey! That poor guy! We didn't know what the treatment was like - our very, very best for Cooper!!!
    I love that pic of you and your tall friend!!!
    Play bows,
    Zim

    ReplyDelete
  8. PREVENTION is soooooo much better than the CURE which is HORRID.

    ReplyDelete
  9. We hope Cooper heals well and soon. We
    All take our heart worm meds but momwishes Interceptor would come back soon.

    Woos - The OP Pack

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh he looks pitiful! You gives him a hug fur me okays? We gets a pill once a month without fail. My mum has seen dat treatment and says it is terribles!!!!!!

    Oh and my mum wants to steal dat Dane.

    Puddles

    ReplyDelete
  11. Poor guy! Give him a hug from all of us! How did they know he had heartworm to begin with? Is it obvious? We rarely hear of this disease here in Vancouver , Canada


    the critters in the cottage xo

    ReplyDelete
  12. I took my heart worm pill this morning! We need to keep getting the word out. Some people just don't understand how bad it is!

    Nora

    ReplyDelete