WHY USE HEARTWORM PREVENTATIVE?
As humans, we all know how itchy a mosquito bite can be. But to a dog, a mosquito bite can be deadly. Dogs can get heartworm disease and die. HUMANS CANNOT GET HEARTWORM DISEASE FROM MOSQUITO BITES. When a mosquito who is carrying heartworms bites a dog, it deposits its eggs in the dog’s body. The eggs hatch and work their way to the dog's heart. Over time these worms grow and fill up the heart until the heart is unable to beat. The dog develops a cough and is tired and listless.
There is help for dogs who get heartworm but the medicine contains arsenic which is a poison. The dog must get the correct dosage or the medicine can kill the dog. While under treatment the dog must be kept calm and quiet—no playing in the play yard—just rest for a minimum of 30 days.
We ask you to help your dogs by giving heartworm medicine to them. The meds can be purchased at veterinarians, and places like “Chewy” or “Pet Smart” with a veterinarian prescription. Protect your dog so it can have a long and healthy life.
Approximately 60% of adult dogs who come to the Colleton County Animal Shelter have heartworms. FoCCAS assists the county by purchasing the drug, Diroban, to treat heartworms in dogs. Through the generosity of one of our local veterinarians, dogs are treated so they can live out a healthier life.
In order to keep our dogs free from heartworms, a group of FoCCAS volunteers come to the shelter every other Monday to administer heartworm prevention and flea and tick medication to the dogs who need it. Each animal must be removed from their kennel and weighed and given the correct dosage of heartworm medicine and flea and tick medicine. Records must be kept and paperwork filled out. Each visit, there are usually 4 or 5 volunteers helping out.
If you would like to help the heartworm team on Mondays, please send an email to foccas.sc@gmail.com.
To learn more about heartworm disease, visit https://www.heartwormsociety.org/pet-owner-resources. By the way, cats can also get heartworms!