When we adopted him in October 2014 Rango tested positive on heart-worm. After a few months it was still positive, but we were given the advise to not treat him, yet as it was not "full positive". Today his test was negative! And so he is declared Healthy!
YAY, I am so glad you got this report and that Rango is healthy. We don't get heartworm over here [yet], but I know from the American posters on a boxer group that I go on sometimes that it can be quite serious and that the treatment of it is really hard going - dog has to be confided in a cage and not move around as the worms break down etc. I am really interested in this Ingrid, please can you explain more - what does not full postitive mean? I don't understand that, either he has heartworm or he doesn't? He is a gorgeous looking boy, xxx his ears in that pic are like my Roddy's xxx How old is he?
Hi @stephanies - we do not know how old he is. In August 2014 he was found as a stray, very thin and afraid of everything. We got to know him because the taekwondo teacher (my daughters go there) fostered him and brought him to the practices.
I fell in love with him and because he got along with our other dog Dino we could adopt him on October 4th 2014 (world animal day!)
Heartworm - All dogs here in Houston should be on heartworm prevention and should be tested yearly. The prevention is a monthly pill.
The test is like a pregnancy test. A little strip where they put a little blood. If the dog is negative only 1 dot appears. If the dog is positive another dot will come up. In Rango's case the other dot came up, but was not as sharp. Apparently that means that he had heartworm, but not that many worms in his system. I was told to keep an good eye on him, especially when exercising - and bring him in by any seizure-like symptoms and to re-test after 3 months.
After 3 months the second dot was there but not a 100%. With the prevention the hope was that he would not get new worms and that the old ones would die eventually.
Treatment can be dangerous and is defensively uncomfortable and very expensive. You are right that the dog is not allowed to do anything (means for many dogs confided in a cage and been drugged up with sleeping pills to stay calm) We retested then every 6 month and last week he was negative. So for him it worked! Yeah!
Aww, how lovely! Rango got a lovely new home and a live-in playmate too, lucky boy!
Thanks so much for explaining about the heartworm Ingrid @ingrid01 very interesting for me to read and to understand about it. I am so glad this approach worked for him. I forgot to fav his pic before, he is so gorgeous I have to keep looking at him. Would it possible for you to post a head-on shot sometime please? I would love to see how he looks front-on.
You are welcome @stephanies
I just downloaded many pictures from my phone and I saw a nice head-on shot somewhere. It is now past my bedtime, so I will post it soon as a filler.
May 4th, 2016
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I fell in love with him and because he got along with our other dog Dino we could adopt him on October 4th 2014 (world animal day!)
Heartworm - All dogs here in Houston should be on heartworm prevention and should be tested yearly. The prevention is a monthly pill.
The test is like a pregnancy test. A little strip where they put a little blood. If the dog is negative only 1 dot appears. If the dog is positive another dot will come up. In Rango's case the other dot came up, but was not as sharp. Apparently that means that he had heartworm, but not that many worms in his system. I was told to keep an good eye on him, especially when exercising - and bring him in by any seizure-like symptoms and to re-test after 3 months.
After 3 months the second dot was there but not a 100%. With the prevention the hope was that he would not get new worms and that the old ones would die eventually.
Treatment can be dangerous and is defensively uncomfortable and very expensive. You are right that the dog is not allowed to do anything (means for many dogs confided in a cage and been drugged up with sleeping pills to stay calm) We retested then every 6 month and last week he was negative. So for him it worked! Yeah!
Thanks so much for explaining about the heartworm Ingrid @ingrid01 very interesting for me to read and to understand about it. I am so glad this approach worked for him. I forgot to fav his pic before, he is so gorgeous I have to keep looking at him. Would it possible for you to post a head-on shot sometime please? I would love to see how he looks front-on.
I just downloaded many pictures from my phone and I saw a nice head-on shot somewhere. It is now past my bedtime, so I will post it soon as a filler.