I Feel Good!!!!!!!!

Skeeter had a visit to the Vet on Friday. The purpose was to take some blood and test for liver and kidney function among other things. She amazed me by walking willingly into the office and sniffing around. The previous visits seemed to not have left an impression upon her. Well the lightbulb did go on an she headed for the door where she curled up into a tight ball. The Vet was unable to coax her into walking so Skeeter was picked up and taken to a exam room.

While I was in the waiting room I picked up a brochure about a program called Pet Safe.
As the brochure states “Established in 2003 by the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) it assists women leaving abusive partners by providing temporary housing for their pets.”

Skeeter spent a few minutes in the back and then came that sound. You know the one, claws attempting to dig in and get traction on a tiled floor. The Vet reported that Skeeter was a little trooper, as usual, and that we should have the results later that afternoon.

Well the news was all good. The final step will be an antigen test in three months to see if there is any evidence of heartworms.

Many thanks to all at the Loyalsit Veterinary Hospital and Skeeter's primary Dr. Lara Sylvester. The caring and compassion of the team at Loyalist is second to none.

Thank you.

Last Shot

It took about seven hours, yesterday, for Skeeter to get to a reasonable comfort level. That is a level perceived by a worried parent to be comfortable. She did huff and puff and pant but there was no whimpering.
The Vet did place a call to us last night, making sure everything was fine.

Today was Skeeter’s third and final shot. She was a little trooper according to the Vets attending to her. Upon leaving we were given a dose of tramadol 50mg in case of severe pain.

Today was much more like the first injection when it come to visible discomfort. Whimpering heavy panting and painful walking were the order of the day. At one point Skeeter dug a little hole in the garden under the lilac bushes and laid in it.

Relief was seen about five hours after the injection. She’s now sleeping and we’ve yet to use the tramadol.

In 30 days Skeeter is due for a return visit for a “Wellness Test” which will check for liver and kidney function among other things. After three doses of arsenic based treatment it’s best to make sure everything is working well.

I sure hope the heartworm has been taken care of for good. This is not an experience a friend should go through.

Second Shot

We took Skeeter to the Vet today for her latest heartworm treatment. It was another shot in the hind quarter.
It’s been four hours since the shot and she has the same discomfort as with the shot last month. Hopefully within the next couple of hours she’ll be resting comfortably.

Tomorrow we return to the Vet for the final shot.

With Skeeter’s curtailed activity level I’m surprised she has only gained one tenth of a pound. We did cut back on her food but her steady weight is surprising.

It's been a few days.

Well it’s been a few days since Skeeter’s first injection in her heartworm treatment.

By all outward appearances she is back to normal. Skeeter is a four year old terrier OES mix with the terrier temperament. Outdoor activities are now conducted on a leash.
Before Skeeter’s diagnosed she had free run of our 13 acres rural property.
She is getting a little annoyed with the life on the leash. Another activity she cannot partake in is the near daily 2 to 3 kilometer walks. These activities need to be curtailed to prevent the increased risk of clots and embolism from the die-off of the parasites during treatment.

For you information I offer up the American Heartworm Society as a source for detailed information.

Not A Happy Dog.

A lot of time has been spent surfing looking for information about heartworm and it’s treatment.
Without being Vets ourselves, we arrived at our Vet’s office thinking Skeeter was a Class One:
• Class I: Lowest Risk. Young healthy dogs with minimal or no disease evident on radiographs, normal blood work, and no symptoms of illness. They may cough only occasionally if ever, they only fatigue with exercise, and their chest radiographs are normal.
We had a very good consultation. The Vet laid out the situation and the treatment. Armed with some internet gleaned knowledge we were able to carry on a fairly intelligent conversation.

Anyways, the Vet decided to treat Skeeter’s case as a Class Three, as far as treatment protocol goes.
That means, one shot Melarsomine (Immiticide®; Merial) followed in 30 days by two shots 24 hours apart.
After the consult, testing for kidney and liver function was conducted along with a xray of the heart. Conclusion? Skeeter was in good condition. Treatment commenced with an injection in the hind very deep into the muscle. A pain killer was also administered.

During the drive home there was a lot of panting and discomfort.

Upon arrival back home I tried to get a whiz (pee) out of her, but she would have little to do with the walking around and plopped down in protest.
Come time for dinner, she showed near zero interest in her food. However, she did manage to eat some nann from our home made Indian Feast. BTW, I make a mean Beef Vindaloo.

With closing time approaching at the Vet’s office I called to check in with some questions. The Vet had gone home but a message was sent and I received a call back in a few minute.
I must say the care and attention being given Skeeter and us is wonderful. After addressing our concerns the Vet said she would call back in an hour to follow up.

Now a few words concerning the original reason for creating this Blog.
Yesterday, during a day trip to Toronto I met with a Veterinarian. This particular Vet has been helping Cuban Vets and animals since 2003. This coincides with my involvement in the lives of Cuban dogs. Only recently have we been in contact and yesterday was our first face to face.
Going forward, I know the Spanky Project will be able to benefit from this meeting and others.

Not the day I expected...

This morning did not start particularly well.

At 8:30 the telephone rang and on the other end was Skeeter’s Vet. Skeeter is our mutt. Seems that during routine testing for heartworm she has tested positive. Heartworm has not been a problem in the Belleville Ontario area but it is on the increase (let’s blame it on climate change)

By 8:40 I’m in the Blazer for a 30 minute drive to Belleville for a second test.
Arriving at the Vet, Skeeter took her defensive posture in the back seat. You know that position... curled up pretending to sleep. So, with a little coaxing I ushered her inside where she was taken from me for the second blood letting. A few minutes later Skeeter exits with the Vet and heads straight for the front door. As I am mentioning to the Vet, “I’ll put Skeeter in the car and come back in” a technician approached us stating, “ I need Skeeter again”. Seems someone dropped the vial and they needed another sample.

With Skeeter now in the truck the Vet explained that they would look at the sample in house. If it appeared negative they would send it out for confirmation.
I inquired as to the treatment if the test was positive. Seemingly, the Vet did not want to entertain that thought but did state that a series of injections would be the prescribed treatment.

At 11:00 we received the call from the Vet. "Skeeter has heartworm."

This blog may take a whole new direction.