Heartworm infected dog - Just found out today :(

You've got very adorable and sweet looking dogs!
Welcome to i-dog.  There's a great bunch of people here.

Yes, you dogs are adorable--one of my brothers has a bassie, Belle, who just had a benign tumor removed form rear leg.
 
Our golden retriever mix, had heart worms when we adopted her.  She went thru the treatment, but it was different.  She only requird 2 injections and 6 weeks of being crated and has been HW negative ever since.  This was in Jan. 2003.
 
How right your are about it being nasty.  Our next door neighbors would not put their dogs on HW pills becuase they were "indoor dogs".  No amount o telling them that the dogs DO go outside to go potty and mosquitoes DO ride inside on dogs and people, or just come in when a door is opened (and they had two preteen boys) Well,  just a little over a year ago they wre both diagnosed with heartworms and the people said it cost to much to treat ment.  The older one, a cocker, died a couple of months ago.  It was pitiful watching him his last month.  He could only take a few steps and then have to lay down gasping.  Even tho they watched this, they still have not gotten treatment for the much younger dog.  Is so sad. that they can spend money on anything else they want (like $40 for a special board for one of the boys to break in his martial arts),but  can't afford to get the dog treated.

Hey -- don't get discouraged.  I just emailed you some more suggestions of stuff to put in the Kong. 
 
You know you can toss him some plain old ice cubes too, don'tcha???  Or make him some light juice water -- cranberry with a little yogurt and freeze THAT in cubes.  Anything to toss him something different!!
 
Then before you go stir crazy -- when you take him 'out' next time, gently walk him to the car, let him get in and just plain go for a drive and end it at Chik Fil-A or something.  Yeah, he has to be crated, but it's keeping him sedentary.  And it's a great time to work on things like getting him to just plain sit STILL in the car -- so just plain go SIT in the car (with some treats in your pocket and a book) and it will be 'doing' something different and yet give both of you different 'walls' to look at for a while. 

Ohhhh I miss Chik Fil A - had 'em in Texas.  That sounds good.  That and Sonic. 

Mel is taking him and Emma with her on a few errands tomorrow.  They don't wrestle in the back of the car and there is a gate (suv) so it's a small confined space.  That'll give him a change of scenery for a while.  They'll be out for a couple of hours.

That should be okay.

Hi Samantha,
    I just joined today in hopes of guidance with my Frosty Paws colon cancer.   I saw your email..and I know I'm a day late and a dollar short but I too had to put my rescue dogs through heartworm treatment.  Just as you said, the rescue place vet said she was heartworm negative.  Duchess is a shepard and doberman mix.  She was so full of energy when I brought her home.  She needed so much training.  However, during training she would pant heavily..long sit stays and such.  She was only a year old and was worn out very quickly.  I took her to my vet for the routine checks.   It was during the winter so a heartworm test was not called for yet.   For some unknown reason I asked for a HW test.  Sure enough it was positive.  I had it double checked.  I learned like you probably did that there are many kinds of HW tests.  I put her though the treatment.  It was before I adopted her buddy Frosty Paws.  She went through things fine.  The first two weeks like you know were tough.  She vomited a lot.  Cottage cheese and rice were her staples.  I don't know as I am learning if that was the best but that is what the vet told me. 
 
Here is the clincher....She was given caparsalate treatment.  It is NOT the recommend treatment.  Stupid me, I didn't know.  My other poochies were all puppies so I never had to deal with HW positive before.  Next year she tested positive again... I had given her Sentinel the entire year round....I was not taking any chances  and she still tested positive.   I got two second opinions.   They were all positive.  Mild positive.  I guess the Carpasalate treatment is not the best at killing the adult worms.   I was told there were possibly a few females still left and couldn't reproduce but could still be doing damage!!   
 
I had the more successful treatment it sounds like you got.   They shaved two spots on her back right at her hind legs.    Again another eight weeks of quiet.    I was so depressed about her procedure again....while taking her the vet had put Frosty Paws up for adoption.  He was a stray left for dead after being hit by a car.    Not only did she completely recover....She had this procedure over 10 years ago!!  She is 11 now and going very strong but she found a brother that was adopted along the way.
 
Please let me know if I can be of any help.  It was a heart wrenching time but all things worked out great.  I now have another struggle with my Frosty Paws and his cancer in his colon.  He just had a rectal pull through that was unsuccessful.   He has lost some of his bowel control and the other option is a second attempt.  I'm not sure where to go with this one yet.   Please keep him in your prayers. 
 
Thank you,
Patti, Duchess and Frosty Paws....

Thank you so much for your input!  I really appreciate it.  I'm so happy to hear of a success story!  Sometimes reading about the loss of pets is hard when going through something risky like this.

Hogan started coughing tonight and had liquid-ish breathing, so we called the vet afterhours and he said if he's still coughing in the morning to bring him in. 

It's interesting - there's been several people who have gotten the two time treatments and have had to keep the dogs quiet for 8 weeks.  We have to keep Hogan quiet for 120 days, 90 days after his 2nd/3rd treatment. 

So sorry to hear about your baby's issues   It's heartwrenching when our babies have problems.

Our black lab is feeling a bit neglected b/c she hasn't gotten her normal playtime and walks.  Hopefully we can get her out for a few hour walks this week and this weekend. 

Thanks again for your kindness and success story!  They're both very appreciated.

Samantha

Our adopted girl was suppose to parasite free when we got her from the little local Humane Soceity.  she was given a pill the day before we got her.  A month later I took her to my vet, she was tested and it was positive.  He said there was no way she could have been negative, had the pill and still be positive a month later.  He did the test again and again it came up positive.    I made the arrangments for her to have the treatment.  I called the HS and they said take her back to their vet, so I did and there she tested negative.  A few days later he called and asked if I would bring her in again and let him take blood and send it to Texas A&M for deeper testing.  I did.  I went ahead with the treatments and a couple of days later the HS vet called and said the results from A&M had come in and she was positive.  I asked him what test he used and he told me the Idexx Snap Test.  My vet uses the Heska (I think he said Witness).   One of the ladies from the HS actually accused my vet of falsifying the test so he could get all that money out of me.  That did make me mad.  I watched the entire process from the drawing of the blood to the positivie reaction on that tester.
 
Kinda off topic, but my Mom survived colon cancer.  Wishing the best for your guy.