Heartworm treatment

Thank you.  We think she is rather a pretty girl!  When I look into those huge brown eyes I can't help but wonder how anyone could toss her into a room and turn on the gas and kill her.  As I type this she is on the bed next to my desk watching me.  She is such a sweetheart and her ONLY fault is DIG DIG DIG.  Hubby has threatened to hire her out to the army to dig bunkers!
 
Hunter's sister, kayCee had to have surgery on both knees for luxating patellas, the first at about 17 months, the other about 15 months later.  The first time she had to be kept inactive for 4 weeks, the next knee was worse, required even more procedures and a 6 weeks inactive period.  Kept her tied to sofa leg.  Hunter would lay beside her and lick her face.  He really seemed to understand his sister was not right.  He was an exceptional dog with more patience than any dog should ever have.  I hope I can post a picture or two of him. maybe one of him and KayCee together--as they always were.

Are the puppies Kaycee and Hunter?...and then when they were older?   Absolutely precious and it must've made it even harder (if that's possible) when Hunter passed from that stupid ProHeart 6 treatment.   Poor Kaycee...but lucky Honey for being saved by you and ending up in such a wonderful, loving home.  So do you have three now?  I love my labs, but really want a golden retriever next.  My girls are diggers too, so maybe they could form a corporation for excavation and earn some money to pay a few medical bills []

Yes, the puppies are Hunter and KayCee the day after we got them, and then of them together in the kitchen waiting for breakfast.  The picture of just Hunter was the last picture taken of him.
 
I still cry over my precious boy. I didn't love him more than I love the other 3, but there was a bond between us that everyone noticed and comment on. The day hunter's HCT dropped to 9.7, my vet said he should have been been dead, but he fought so hard to live.  I was visiting him 3 times a day for up to an hour each time and my vet feels Hunter fought so hard because he did not want to leave me.

thanks everyone for your replies.  Coal goes on the 17th for his treatment so we will see how it goes.
 
They both tested positive for hookworms too so had to give them a couple really big pills.  They cost around 20 bucks a piece.  75 dollars for 3.5 pills if you can believe that one.  and now they are both really not eating much.  guess their stomachs are upset.  Hope they both get to feeling better soon.  they are both sweet boys... 
 
gorgeous dogs Sandra... 

here is a pic of Casey my English/springer spaniel mix...  very very Ball crazy... loves to play soccer now... he has a foam soccer ball that he goes and gets himself and carries it back to me hanging off of his teeth.... pretty cute.. will have to take a pic to share...

Casey is beautiful too.  I'm sure he's going to miss having his playmate for those 8 weeks, but they'll be back to romping before you know it.  Just a thought, but you might want to check in on this group:
 
[linkhttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/K9Kitchen/]http://groups.yahoo.com/group/K9Kitchen/[/link]
 
There might be some things you can do nutritionally that will help keep them both healthy with the medications they're taking and the heartworm treatment.  

the last couple of months the whole dog journal has had articles on heartworms. this month's issue the article was about heartworm treatment. it might be worth checking out for some fairly in-depth details on what you are facing and what you can expect.

good luck with the treatment. i wish you and coal the best! []

thank you for the info.. i just subscribed online... and it has a lot of great info...  thanks again!!!

Would love to see a picture of Casey with that foam ball.  My girls cant resist picking anything of foam apart into tiny, tiny peices.  Lovely dogs you have there.  /  Wishing for the best for your heartworms treatments.

Hey Sandra.. I will try and get one tonight.  Its funny he is really good with his toys.  he hids them from the lab (i think hes learned the hard way!!!).  A regular ball will last forever it its his...  If i give something like that to Coal and he really likes it it doesnt last long.  Although he would rather play fetch with a rawhide bone than a ball.  anything else and he could care less!  its funny watching them go at bones... I buy these things and they last maybe 2 minutes with Coal if they are small.  maybe a few hours for the larger ones....  Have you found any to last longer???? 

here is pic of casey with the foam volleyball that he loves for me to kick and he retrieves with his teeth... kinda concerned he will break a tooth but he loves this ball a lot...   

That is so cute.The ball looks almost as big as him, lol.  Great picture.

As I said  the girls will pick apart anything--even their rope toys.  Well, KayCee's brother took care of his toys.  He had a monster tennis ball, about twice the size of a normal one--that he would carry around to play fetch with.  But his very favorite toy was his "bomb" or rocketship.  It was fabric,  shaped like a bomb or rocket ship and was navy blue & red striped with yellow fins.  A neighbor gave us 3 of them--think they wre a give away promo somehere.  Well, the girls got a tiny hole in two of them and pulled all the stuffing out.  After that i put the 3rd one away and would give it to Hunter  when i could make sure the girls wouldn't get hold of it.  He would just carry it around with him.  He was such a gentle sweet soul that if one of the girls wanted it, he would let them have it. 
 
Well, as i am sure I mentioned above, he died of autoimmune hemolytic anemia brought on by his Proheart6 hearworm injection just after his 4th birthday.  He is buried in our back yard under the one sycamore tree he loved to chas quirrels up--and that toy is buried with him..  Gonna to try to post a picture of Hunter, my most precious boy.  It will be 3 yers come oct. 16 since I lost him and I miss him so much still.

Well, I will try again.

He was a beautiful boy Sandra and I can only imagine how painful it must've been.  He was soooo young and to die from something that was supposed to protect him - man, that would just leave a really bad feeling in my stomach and I'm sure you have had to work hard not to be horribly bitter and trust the vet profession.