Rocky’s Health Saga: Heart worm prevention and Treatment.

We knew Rocky was heart worm positive from the people who owned him previously. When they took him for his initial checkup he was positive, he also had hookworm. They had him long enough to treat him for the hook worm. What we didn’t know is the poor guy had gotten into rat poisoning at some point before we got him back. We learned from the vet that rat poisoning can take 2 to 4 weeks to show any symptoms in a dog. We had only had Rocky back in our lives for about 16 hours, when he started coughing up blood. We took him to the emergency vet immediately and they kept him overnight. This started the first round of treatment for the rat poison and heart worm.

Rocky the afternoon of his emergency vet visit.

It was 28 days of antibiotics, vitamins and a steroid to get him healthy enough to even think about the start of heart worm treatment. After the 28 days, Rocky would receive the first shot of heart worm treatment and another 2 weeks of antibiotics and steroids. During the heart worm treatment, Rocky was on a strict leash walking regimen. He couldn’t run or raise his heartrate because that would make the heart worms more active and could cause more issues. After the first treatment there is a 30 day waiting period before the second treatment.

The first shot was on May 10^th, exactly 30 days later we drop Rocky off for his second treatment. This time it was on my birthday. He was required to stay overnight for this treatment because 24 hours later they give a booster shot. We were going out of town for my birthday and had already planned to board him but this was good timing for a little extra TLC at the vet.

Little Reese and Rocky, she's about the size of his meat head.

When my friend, Ashley, and I picked up all the dogs from the vet on Monday morning, Rocky seemed to be doing pretty well. He seemed a little tired but otherwise nothing out of the ordinary. After this shot there was no extra antibiotics or steroids. It wasn’t until the next few days that we noticed Rocky seemed very sore. He was whimpering quite a bit when he was lying down and if you patted a certain spot on his hips he would yelp. This was very unusual for him because he is an 80lb dog that thinks he is a 12lb lapdog.

Rocky and I like our time in the recliner together. Cody gets jealous of my 82lb baby dog.

It wasn’t until Thursday after that treatment that we knew something was definitely wrong. Rocky and Missy get 2 treats in the morning before we leave for work. Cody gives them one right after they go out in the morning and then I give them one right before we leave for work. Rocky is a food driven animal, if you are letting him eat it he will eat it. Rocky didn’t even get up off the floor for the second treat. When the vet opened that morning, my husband called to see what we should do. They had us bring him in right away and kept him overnight. The vet said this second round of the treatment shot is pretty brutal on a dog’s body because they are really trying to absorb the adult heart worms now.

When I picked Rocky up from the vet the next day he seemed like his old self again, chipper and happy to get home. This came with another 2 weeks of antibiotics and steroids. After this second shot, there is a 4 month waiting period before testing the dog for heart worm again. The goal, on October 10^th, is that Rocky is heart worm negative and all we will have to continue is prevention. (With moving, I have not found a vet yet to get Rocky checked but we are still hoping for a clean bill of health.)

My husband and I learned that it is important to continue to give Rocky heart worm prevention during the treatment of the adult heart worms. The prevention helps kill adolescent heart worms and prevents new ones. The shots are for treatment of the adult heart worms, so the heart is able to absorb them.

I think the biggest thing we have learned so far, is that heart worm prevention maybe pricey every year to keep your dog healthy, but the prevention is a lot less expensive than the treatment.

These two have been cuddling quite a bit lately, I think Missy really likes of him (most of the time.)

Here are some extra pictures of the adorable meat head, although he knows exactly how to press my buttons to get what he wants, I could not imagine our lives without him. Even Missy likes him, most of the time.

At the beginning of his journey, you can tell the difference in the size of his body compared to that meat head.

Cody came back from a week away at work during the move, Rocky was determined that his dad was not going to leave him again.

One thing is for sure about this loveable meat head, he has a way of understanding emotions from people. It’s like he can sense what you are feeling and he won’t leave your side if he thinks you need him.

I was laying in bed with this the other night and it melted my heart a little. Such cute, snugly puppies.

The adventure continues…to a healthy pup….