Pet Watch from the director- 3/20/11

Allazay is being treated for heartworms

The Humane Society has started seeing an increase of “heartworm positive” dogs over the past month. Because the treatment of heartworms is expensive, we are unable to treat all cases. Fortunately, thanks to the generosity of some wonderful people in the community and for great Foster Homes, we are able to treat most of them. We want to remind all of you that heartworm disease is very serious and can be fatal once contracted. The good news is it can be avoided by the regular use of a preventative medicine which comes in an inexpensive, chewable pill or a topical product. These are available with a veterinarian’s prescription.

Heartworms are transmitted from animal to animal by mosquitoes. They enter an animal’s bloodstream as tiny, invisible larvae and can reach lengths of more than twelve inches. A heartworm is a parasitic worm that lives in the heart and pulmonary arteries of an infected animal. The worms travel through the bloodstream harming arteries and vital organs until they reach the heart. The treatment for heartworms is a series of drug injections into the dog’s muscles. The treatment requires several weeks of exercise restriction which is where the Foster Homes help out with the recovery period.

Tatum is about to begin her treatment for heartworms

Symptoms include labored breathing, coughing, vomiting, weight loss, or fatigue after moderate exercise. If you notice your dog having any of these symptoms please contact your veterinarian.

The Humane Society’s monthly board meetings are open to the public. They take place on the third Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at Joseppi’s. Please come and find out even more ways to help and get involved. The next meeting will be Monday, March 21.

You can take a look at our animals by logging on to our website www.hspets.org

We also can adopt out the great animals from Animal Welfare when they are closed on Saturday and Sunday. So, please consider adopting and stop by the shelter. Our hours are: Monday - closed, Tuesday through Friday 1:00-6:00, Saturday 11:00-5:00, and Sunday 1:00-5:00. We are located at 1710 South Main Street in Stillwater. Our current “needs list” includes cat litter, paper towels, hand sanitizer, 13 gallon garbage bags and 36 gallon garbage bags.