Leaving now to pick up Princess from the vet...wish me luck!

[mcraven2]

The vet just called to say I can come in a half hour to get Princess. She had an ultra sound done to check how advanced/bad her heartworm is and to see if she has a hernia where her C sections were from when she was only used for breeding. I'm so nervous! I need good news, I knew adopting a senior would have it's problems but I need more time with my "Thick and Sassy" girl!! I'll update right when I come back...hopefully all good news!!

 

[truffle shuffle]

Good luck! Hope Princess is feeling soo much better!!

 

[2BullyMama]

we are with you ....

 

[Lauren31287]

Good luck, I hope you get some good news!

 

[mcraven2]

[MENTION=7467]truffle shuffle[/MENTION] [MENTION=2894]2BullyMama[/MENTION] [MENTION=3652]Lauren31287[/MENTION] your good luck has worked! It's not good news but it also isn't horrible news! So there are a few worms in her heart but the vet said her heart looks good! There are not a ton of them which is good news and even better news that she isn't showing symptoms! She is on Doxycycline for a month then we will start the first phase of treatment. The first phase is an injection of Immiticide, she will then have to be kept very calm with no exercise for a month (shouldn't be too hard for her!!), then after the 30 days she will have two more rounds of Immiticide 24 hours apart, again we have to keep her calm for another 4-6 weeks. The final phase is an outpatient administration of oral Ivermectin then another dose 10 days later! The risk of this treatment is when the worms start to die off they break and can cause blood clots, so keeping them inactive is crucial!! She does have a hernia but for now we just have to keep a close eye on it! Princess is a tough girl so I know she will beat this!

 

[Lauren31287]

Glad to hear that things are looking good!! Good luck to you and to Princess with the treatment!

 

[cali baker]

That's great to hear that Princess's heart looks okay and she'll be starting her treatment. She IS a tough cookie and I know she'll pull thru this with flying colors!

 

[dolphin]

That's good to hear. I'm happy she doesn't have any symptoms. God bless that sweetheart. and Giovanni and Diva too.

 

[JeannieCO]

Oh gezzz, I missed this thread. That's good news right that there's only a few heartworms? Can they multiply? Poor sweet girl. How long have you had Princess now? You are right too, these old ones steal your heart. Wishing her the best of luck with her treatment.

 

[Vikinggirl]

Glad to hear the news wasn't as bad as it could have been, and that she will be okay with treatment. I hope she tolerates the medication, and she doesn't suffer any side affects. Sending love hugs and prayers that Princess gets well soon. Keep us posted on how she's doing

 

[mcraven2]

Oh gezzz, I missed this thread. That's good news right that there's only a few heartworms? Can they multiply? Poor sweet girl. How long have you had Princess now? You are right too, these old ones steal your heart. Wishing her the best of luck with her treatment.

Yes I guess it would be a 50/50 shot of surviving the treatment if her heart was filled with them, so only having a few is better odds of surviving the treatment because that just means less worms dying off in her system and less of a chance of a blood clot! They can multiply but once we start the treatment they will stop multiplying, I don't think the medication stops the multiplying process but they will kill any extra bacteria in her system. We have had her now for a little over 4 months, and I guess it takes up to 6 months after getting infected to show up on heartworm tests. She was tested in October before we adopted her and was negative but she may still have had it in the beginning stages! These seniors do steal your heart right away, it's amazing how much love they still give even though they have been through so much!!

 

[Sherry]

Thank God she has found you and your heart for a quick recovery

 

[ModernFemme]

Buena suerta!

 

[2BullyMama]

like you said... not great news, but sure is good news! She has a great Momma that will get her all better

 

[Casper]

Melissa, that's great news given the circumstances, It could of only been better to be a mistake, and she was clear !! I've been following your post afraid to say anything, because of my lack of experience. My Vet tested Rocky before giving heart worm medication, However Mosquitoes are a year around thing for us, Rocky's doomed to stay on heart worm preventatives. You and Princess are definitely still in thoughts and prayers, and those Senior will surprise you with their surprising will to get through it, and their love is second to none.