I need a recommendation on a vet badly.

[Treasure Chest]

We use a vet in Gilmer. People actually fly show dogs in from as far as California to have our vet do certain surgeries on their dogs because he's reasonably priced, and very good.
For perspective, my ex's dog got into antifreeze last summer. The bill for 12 hours at the emergency clinic was $700. Scooby was transferred to Dr Spencer the next morning and he spent a week with treatment, monitoring, kidney function testing, and had to finally be put down, and his total bill was $400.

It's quite the drive from Cleburne, and with gas, you may not save much, but if you want to add him to your call list, I'll gladly give you his number.

[Jenn]

We just got back from a walk , about a mile . He never had any short breath and did well . I will be sending a couple of pm's in the AM . I am thinking if I can get some body mass on him "muscle and fat " and get him moving again he will get better . I just refuse to let him drift off to death . I'll be back in the morning .
Thanks

Be careful with the exercise. In a heartworm positive dog, raising their heart rate can increase the chances of pulmonary embolism and can cause sudden death. The risk is heightened once you start any type of treatment but still possible if a worm dislodges from the heart into the bloodstream. Also, adding any extra strain on a heart that is already working harder is not typically a good outcome.

[crapstang]

I know 3 vets here and in Denton that would treat you really well if you still need one

[Reefer Rae]

We just got back from a walk , about a mile . He never had any short breath and did well . I will be sending a couple of pm's in the AM . I am thinking if I can get some body mass on him "muscle and fat " and get him moving again he will get better . I just refuse to let him drift off to death . I'll be back in the morning .
Thanks

[mikec]

True.

The treatment for heart worms is pretty rough on a dog. Maybe the reason they said wait and the put him down is because for a dog that old, the treatment may be too harsh. I would think they would clarify the reason they said that regardless.

The age thing is the issue here. Which, though I absolutely love dogs, I agree with.

The unspoken thing about heartworms and the treatment of them is that the monthly treatment only kills new born worms. Life expectancy of the heart worm is pretty short at nine months. So, if you put your dog on the treatment, existing heartworms will die within nine months.

OP, get him on the treatment, overdose his ass, and hope you acted quickly enough. You might save him without having to subject him to the arsenic treatment.

http://www.ehow.com/about_6324837_dog-heartworm-life-cycle.html

[Redd]

The problem with giving a dog that old the full treatment is that it can actually be to much for the dogs hearts like jenn stated. What they do is give the preventive to stop the reproduction of the worms and the older ones die of.


I had to put my two boxers down last summer. One being elbino was a rescue dog that had heart worms, Treated and well years later he got them again. His heart was so damaged from them and boxers have known heart conditions his poor little heart was bout to explode. He actually pretty much died on our living room floor before we knew his heart was so weak. Our neighbor is a vet tech and did cpr on him and brought him back. He was a goofy ass dog and lived another 3 happy goofy months dopped up on meds to control seisures till we finally made the call to put him down as he was getting worse. He was 10 years... our fawn went down hill month later, had mini strokes and lost use of her rear legs more and more...


We use a vet in kaufman.. its bit of a drive but wife and I like them.

[Mysticcobrakilla]

Unfortunately once a dog shows signs of heartworms the disease has progressed to a severe stage. The only way to actually kill the heartworms is to put the dog through immiticide injection treatment. However, with your dog's age and your description of the weight loss and health status, that may not be the best treatment option. There are some medications that can be administered to lessen some of the symptoms as well as prevent the heartworm infection from getting worse. I'd be happy to talk with you further if you'd like, but I would definitely recommend getting a second opinion with a veterinarian that focuses more on thorough client communication and fully explains the treatment options available to your pet.

Take this advise.

[Jenn]

Unfortunately once a dog shows signs of heartworms the disease has progressed to a severe stage. The only way to actually kill the heartworms is to put the dog through immiticide injection treatment. However, with your dog's age and your description of the weight loss and health status, that may not be the best treatment option. There are some medications that can be administered to lessen some of the symptoms as well as prevent the heartworm infection from getting worse. I'd be happy to talk with you further if you'd like, but I would definitely recommend getting a second opinion with a veterinarian that focuses more on thorough client communication and fully explains the treatment options available to your pet.

[KBScobravert]

I am sorry to hear this. We have two rather young (1 and 3 yrs old) boxers. We use a vet in Keller so she would not be much use for you being so far away.

There is a boxer rescue that is local who may have some better vet recommendations for you. When I get home tonight I will post their info for you here.

Heartworms sucks, growing up we had a rather young (6yrs) border collie mix that we had to treat. He lived another 10 years.

[Txstang1]

To cure a dog of heart worms is huge bucks. I'm sorry.

True.

The treatment for heart worms is pretty rough on a dog. Maybe the reason they said wait and the put him down is because for a dog that old, the treatment may be too harsh. I would think they would clarify the reason they said that regardless.

[Reefer Rae]

I think I'm going to get two more opinions and call some rescue groups to get a better idea of what I'm dealing with . Any and all info is greatly appreciated . I've never had a get sick like this and I'm kinda lost .

[line-em-up]

...

Call Ennis Vet. They are really decent on their prices and the vets are reaaly nice people.

Ennis Veterinary Clinic
(972) 875-2647

3101 N Kaufman St

Ennis, TX 75119

[Geor!]

Pretty sure the cure for heartworms involves arsenic treatment which is probably not a good idea on an older pup.

My dog got heartworms a few years back. The treatment when it was all said and done was right at about a grand. Worth every penny. I wish you the best, it is a hard thing to go through when they have the treatment. You have to keep the animal crated so they don't move around much. I have a border collie mix so I felt terrible not letting her bounce off the walls like normal while she was recovering. At that age, I'm not sure if the treatment would be a good idea, but I would probably consult another vet and get their opinion. Best of luck.

[Mysticcobrakilla]

Don't let any vet tell you the only hope is to treat the heart worms. A "real" vet will suggest maintaining the heart worm problem. Any dog at that age will do very poorly during treatment. You can maintain them so the dog can continue to live their life to the fullest without killing them just to save them.