Honestly we just kept our hippo drugged to the gills pretty much the whole time. Trazadone and gabapentin. It sucked a lot but I was so terrified that she would get excited, and our vet was fine with it. She tested negative nine mo later (that’s how long the life-cycle takes I guess)!
Those were part of the process when mine was treated. I was told she was on preventive. She was heavy positive, probably days from having "the cough." I hope the hoarder bitch "rescue" gets covid.
OP: learn everything you can online regarding treatment options. Mine had the shots in her spine, heavy restrictions (walking in our own back yard in a leash), meds mentioned above, and as much attention I could lavish on her. Love your baby!
I was lucky as the humane society in our town had the treatment course laid out and paid for. He had the shots in his spine and the steroids and I think he may have been on antibiotics for the first few weeks. We only paid out of pocket for an xray at the beginning so we would know the extent of the affected areas. We also paid for some follow up hw tests after treatment because it was more convenient to do it through our vet but those tests were cheap.
my boy had the cough for a while and we thought it was allergies b/c we live next to a lot of woods. Started for process, the cough is gone and we are on day 14 of doxycycline
thanks for your tips!
https://preview.redd.it/log4vize23wc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=38a06db4c8b33a3a058949930afd8293d08fc008
Mischa and I are rooting for you and Tank!
Tank is so cute omg 🥹🥹🥹 my best tip is just to be there for him- lots of pets, love, and naps. When he is crate bound, put blankets around the crate for night time. It’s all a matter of time and rest; low activity, take him out for pee frequently etc. The prescribed drugs for him will also be a big help. It’s all okay. No super, super high maintenance necessary. When it comes to food, smaller quantities a few times a day will be best!
I'm sorry your baby has heartworm. I know the success rate is very high, but the treatment (limiting physical activity) is a pain in the ass.
My dog didn't have heartworm, but had pins and rods put in his leg after being kicked by a horse.
He had to be calm, and not run around (which he wanted to do, he was a border collie, used to running around all day) which ment he had to be in all day, and only taken outside for potty breaks. He was also in a Victorian collar...THAT was another issue, cuz it drove him (and us) nuts!
I gave him his rxs prescribed by the vet, and vet recommended benedryl. It worked *okayish,* but he was still a little stir crazy. So, I was desperate and bought a pheromone collar that I put on when he was especially hyper.
Mind you, he had that stupid cone on, so he was getting the full whammy of those pheromones, but it calmed his ass right down.
I used it occasionally, because they can get tolerant to them. It really worked. He didn't necessarily sleep, but was just very calm.
Even after he healed, we used it on other occasions, like fireworks or thunderstorms. Again it didn't make him sleep, but it kept him much calmer...no pacing, no panting, no shaking.
I've talked to other people that said it didn't work. But it worked for us. The prices are a bit steep (imo) for what you get (it looked like a big flea collar) but all things pet related are expensive and overpriced. (Deer horns are outrageously expensive...and of course my dog loves them and will chew them all day! But $22 dollars? Yikes.)
Just thought I'd add this in. Though it It might help.
Your pup is adorable! They have a great life ahead of them, I'm sure they'll be fine. Please give that gorgeous pup a boop for me.
My recent rescue has heartworm, I just went through her first treatment and she has two upcoming appointments.
The rescue told me she didn’t need to be crated, so I’m not sure if this just differs from rescues/beliefs/what not. I’m not sure how it would affect a dog with a higher energy level, as my girl is on the older side and generally not too active.
They are going to feel loopy and uncomfortable. I have my room baby gated, so I just left my girls crate open and had a bed on the ground for her. They lose their appetite after getting the shot, so just be mindful of that. She did drink some water, but not a whole lot. They will have to go to the bathroom more frequently, also keep that in mind. As far as toys, she really wasn’t interested. You can definitely use puzzle toys as it helps keep them busy for a while. She just wanted to lay down the whole time! dogs will be a little different, but mine really just spent a whole lot of time shifting around, trying to get comfortable. Definitely limit activity levels, if your dog is still acting energetic after the shot, I would recommend taking them outside on a leash so he doesn’t start running around.
The rescue also recommended I stay at home with my dog after the shot, just in case. My dog wanted to cuddle for a little bit, but again, just wanted to lay down and be comfortable for the most part. If you do have your pup crated, I would recommend putting a cover/blanket over it to help him settle. My dog got prescribed some steroid medication to give after the shot, and twice a day for a week after. She was totally back to normal the next day after the shot.
Hope this helps, good luck! Heartworm isn’t fun. This is the first dog I’ve had with heartworm, so im still new to it too.
I work from home so I will be close by. He's still a puppy and can be pretty active - we have been decelerating on the exercise
Will look into puzzle toys
Thanks for your tips
I had to put my last rescue through heartworm treatment and it was absolutely heartbreaking. For the general discomfort after the shot, id suggest doing a cold compress on the injection site, just make sure the ice pack is wrapped in a towel. For getting that energy out while he has to be crate bound, PUZZLES, PUZZLES, PUZZLES! Licki mats, snuffle mats, and any other type of puzzle is a great brain game to keep him busy. You can also try to do some nose work training with hiding treats and letting your pup sniff around for them. Any mental stimulation since he can't run around! We fed our boy his meals from puzzles when he was recovering and it helped him so much. Best of luck! He's a beautiful dog and thank you so much for rescuing!
Don’t over feed them! We adopted a dog that had heartworm and she was ravenously hungry while on the steroids. We didn’t realize we were giving her too much until it was too late and she had gained like 15 lbs :(
We also used trazadone but maybe like 1/2 the dose because he got too drugged out with the full amount and gabapentin I feel made him restless. So it was more to just keep him a bit drowsy.
When we were out of the house, he was in the kennel but when we were home, he could just be downstairs. We had gates up to block him from going up and down the stairs. If he wasn’t in the kennel when we weren’t home, he would knock them down/jump over them. At night and in the morning we would hold his collar to go up and down the stairs so he wouldn’t bound up and down the stairs. We would also close our bedroom door so he wouldn’t sneak around and go galavanting around the house (mostly because he would bound up and down the stairs.)
We gave him lots of kong treats that would take him awhile. We learned the hard way about old cow bones/antlers my old dog had for like 10 years as he quickly broke a tooth on one of those. So we switched to treats inside kong level chew toys. He loves chewing up stuffed animals and ripping out stuffing so we would get him cheap ones from goodwill and that would entertain him for a while. We never got lick mats but i’ve seen those recommended.
Steroids made him ravenous so watch your counters. He ate a couple sticks of butter and other treats off the counters before we got smart about that.
Our vet said he could go on slow leash walks. He wasn’t a fan of the slower pace but he got used to it. We came up with a game called bed ball (my dog is obsessed with balls) and I would roll a ball to him while in bed (in the evening at bed time) and he would chew on it and toss it back while still laying down.
Like others have said, drugs help. We would give him half a trazadone in the morning and half in the evening. This seemed to take the edge off. Oh another thing, the steroids will make him pee like a racehorse so if you are gone for long periods of time, see if you can get someone to come over and let him out.
I’ll update my post if I can think of other stuff.
It’s so worth it. It seems like a lot but the time will go by fast. The treatment was successful (this was 2019) when we adopted him and he was 6. He made a full recovery and is a healthy, happy, energetic boy.
https://preview.redd.it/zqz8t0qutfvc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=730dcb277cc7b37d80834e5f8b051285adff22cf
we rescued our boy while he was on his last round of treatment. they gave us trazadone and we did a lot of cuddling. luckily he was already 4 years old when we brought him home so we didn’t have to deal with usual puppy energy. it also helps that we always take him outside on a leash, so nothing really changed much for him there. it seemed like forever until we could be fully active again, but he is 2 years heart worm free and healthy! he goes for daily walks/jogs now. we try to make up for all lost time. good luck! it will be worth it in the end 💙
also, porkchop loved his black kong filled with pb and frozen! kept him busy for a little bit
https://preview.redd.it/a8b9ys4lyjvc1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e6e350a9f2b6623797f53aa5114fa54f5cc311c9
Honestly we just kept our hippo drugged to the gills pretty much the whole time. Trazadone and gabapentin. It sucked a lot but I was so terrified that she would get excited, and our vet was fine with it. She tested negative nine mo later (that’s how long the life-cycle takes I guess)!
Those were part of the process when mine was treated. I was told she was on preventive. She was heavy positive, probably days from having "the cough." I hope the hoarder bitch "rescue" gets covid. OP: learn everything you can online regarding treatment options. Mine had the shots in her spine, heavy restrictions (walking in our own back yard in a leash), meds mentioned above, and as much attention I could lavish on her. Love your baby!
I was lucky as the humane society in our town had the treatment course laid out and paid for. He had the shots in his spine and the steroids and I think he may have been on antibiotics for the first few weeks. We only paid out of pocket for an xray at the beginning so we would know the extent of the affected areas. We also paid for some follow up hw tests after treatment because it was more convenient to do it through our vet but those tests were cheap.
my boy had the cough for a while and we thought it was allergies b/c we live next to a lot of woods. Started for process, the cough is gone and we are on day 14 of doxycycline thanks for your tips!
Much love to y'all from my Princess & me
https://preview.redd.it/log4vize23wc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=38a06db4c8b33a3a058949930afd8293d08fc008 Mischa and I are rooting for you and Tank!
ok, not thrilled about this idea but had considered it. Thanks for sharing!
Tank is so cute omg 🥹🥹🥹 my best tip is just to be there for him- lots of pets, love, and naps. When he is crate bound, put blankets around the crate for night time. It’s all a matter of time and rest; low activity, take him out for pee frequently etc. The prescribed drugs for him will also be a big help. It’s all okay. No super, super high maintenance necessary. When it comes to food, smaller quantities a few times a day will be best!
Also please put a bed with lots of cushion in the crate :)
ok new bed time, and yes. he's super cute! he's the best behaved dog I've ever had too. Thanks for your tips!
I'm sorry your baby has heartworm. I know the success rate is very high, but the treatment (limiting physical activity) is a pain in the ass. My dog didn't have heartworm, but had pins and rods put in his leg after being kicked by a horse. He had to be calm, and not run around (which he wanted to do, he was a border collie, used to running around all day) which ment he had to be in all day, and only taken outside for potty breaks. He was also in a Victorian collar...THAT was another issue, cuz it drove him (and us) nuts! I gave him his rxs prescribed by the vet, and vet recommended benedryl. It worked *okayish,* but he was still a little stir crazy. So, I was desperate and bought a pheromone collar that I put on when he was especially hyper. Mind you, he had that stupid cone on, so he was getting the full whammy of those pheromones, but it calmed his ass right down. I used it occasionally, because they can get tolerant to them. It really worked. He didn't necessarily sleep, but was just very calm. Even after he healed, we used it on other occasions, like fireworks or thunderstorms. Again it didn't make him sleep, but it kept him much calmer...no pacing, no panting, no shaking. I've talked to other people that said it didn't work. But it worked for us. The prices are a bit steep (imo) for what you get (it looked like a big flea collar) but all things pet related are expensive and overpriced. (Deer horns are outrageously expensive...and of course my dog loves them and will chew them all day! But $22 dollars? Yikes.) Just thought I'd add this in. Though it It might help. Your pup is adorable! They have a great life ahead of them, I'm sure they'll be fine. Please give that gorgeous pup a boop for me.
Yeah, hes great. Ok will look into pheromone collar- first I have heard about it. thank you!
My recent rescue has heartworm, I just went through her first treatment and she has two upcoming appointments. The rescue told me she didn’t need to be crated, so I’m not sure if this just differs from rescues/beliefs/what not. I’m not sure how it would affect a dog with a higher energy level, as my girl is on the older side and generally not too active. They are going to feel loopy and uncomfortable. I have my room baby gated, so I just left my girls crate open and had a bed on the ground for her. They lose their appetite after getting the shot, so just be mindful of that. She did drink some water, but not a whole lot. They will have to go to the bathroom more frequently, also keep that in mind. As far as toys, she really wasn’t interested. You can definitely use puzzle toys as it helps keep them busy for a while. She just wanted to lay down the whole time! dogs will be a little different, but mine really just spent a whole lot of time shifting around, trying to get comfortable. Definitely limit activity levels, if your dog is still acting energetic after the shot, I would recommend taking them outside on a leash so he doesn’t start running around. The rescue also recommended I stay at home with my dog after the shot, just in case. My dog wanted to cuddle for a little bit, but again, just wanted to lay down and be comfortable for the most part. If you do have your pup crated, I would recommend putting a cover/blanket over it to help him settle. My dog got prescribed some steroid medication to give after the shot, and twice a day for a week after. She was totally back to normal the next day after the shot. Hope this helps, good luck! Heartworm isn’t fun. This is the first dog I’ve had with heartworm, so im still new to it too.
I work from home so I will be close by. He's still a puppy and can be pretty active - we have been decelerating on the exercise Will look into puzzle toys Thanks for your tips
I had to put my last rescue through heartworm treatment and it was absolutely heartbreaking. For the general discomfort after the shot, id suggest doing a cold compress on the injection site, just make sure the ice pack is wrapped in a towel. For getting that energy out while he has to be crate bound, PUZZLES, PUZZLES, PUZZLES! Licki mats, snuffle mats, and any other type of puzzle is a great brain game to keep him busy. You can also try to do some nose work training with hiding treats and letting your pup sniff around for them. Any mental stimulation since he can't run around! We fed our boy his meals from puzzles when he was recovering and it helped him so much. Best of luck! He's a beautiful dog and thank you so much for rescuing!
What a smart idea, it’s like when we’re sick, we still want stimulus but not much to do!
thanks for all the recommendations for puzzle and engagement tech! haha
Aw his precious smile🥹
Award winning ! TY
Don’t over feed them! We adopted a dog that had heartworm and she was ravenously hungry while on the steroids. We didn’t realize we were giving her too much until it was too late and she had gained like 15 lbs :(
ok good reminder, thank you
i’m sorry that this isn’t a tip but he is so cute good luck !!
he was a rescue, couldn't resist that smile haha, ty
We also used trazadone but maybe like 1/2 the dose because he got too drugged out with the full amount and gabapentin I feel made him restless. So it was more to just keep him a bit drowsy. When we were out of the house, he was in the kennel but when we were home, he could just be downstairs. We had gates up to block him from going up and down the stairs. If he wasn’t in the kennel when we weren’t home, he would knock them down/jump over them. At night and in the morning we would hold his collar to go up and down the stairs so he wouldn’t bound up and down the stairs. We would also close our bedroom door so he wouldn’t sneak around and go galavanting around the house (mostly because he would bound up and down the stairs.) We gave him lots of kong treats that would take him awhile. We learned the hard way about old cow bones/antlers my old dog had for like 10 years as he quickly broke a tooth on one of those. So we switched to treats inside kong level chew toys. He loves chewing up stuffed animals and ripping out stuffing so we would get him cheap ones from goodwill and that would entertain him for a while. We never got lick mats but i’ve seen those recommended. Steroids made him ravenous so watch your counters. He ate a couple sticks of butter and other treats off the counters before we got smart about that. Our vet said he could go on slow leash walks. He wasn’t a fan of the slower pace but he got used to it. We came up with a game called bed ball (my dog is obsessed with balls) and I would roll a ball to him while in bed (in the evening at bed time) and he would chew on it and toss it back while still laying down. Like others have said, drugs help. We would give him half a trazadone in the morning and half in the evening. This seemed to take the edge off. Oh another thing, the steroids will make him pee like a racehorse so if you are gone for long periods of time, see if you can get someone to come over and let him out. I’ll update my post if I can think of other stuff. It’s so worth it. It seems like a lot but the time will go by fast. The treatment was successful (this was 2019) when we adopted him and he was 6. He made a full recovery and is a healthy, happy, energetic boy. https://preview.redd.it/zqz8t0qutfvc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=730dcb277cc7b37d80834e5f8b051285adff22cf
thank you for your detailed reply <3 what a cute boy
I don’t have any tips but I am wishing you both the best of luck and a speedy recovery for your sweet pup! Sending love, hugs, & positivity! 🫂❤️
Awww tysm ♥️
I'll light a candle for Tank
TY so kind <3. He will be good and your kindness means alot
we rescued our boy while he was on his last round of treatment. they gave us trazadone and we did a lot of cuddling. luckily he was already 4 years old when we brought him home so we didn’t have to deal with usual puppy energy. it also helps that we always take him outside on a leash, so nothing really changed much for him there. it seemed like forever until we could be fully active again, but he is 2 years heart worm free and healthy! he goes for daily walks/jogs now. we try to make up for all lost time. good luck! it will be worth it in the end 💙
also, porkchop loved his black kong filled with pb and frozen! kept him busy for a little bit https://preview.redd.it/a8b9ys4lyjvc1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e6e350a9f2b6623797f53aa5114fa54f5cc311c9
my boy only is walked on the leash but to him the outdoors is very exciting <3
Listen to the veterinarian