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Love Fund Report: Katrina's Heartworm Dogs |
 | | In the League's Medical Center, Dr. Jocelyn Crawford treats one of Katrina's heartworm-positive victims. |
Considering the Gulf Region's incredible heat and humidity, it's no surprise that 11 of the 55 animals we rescued tested positive for heartworm, a parasite spread by mosquitoes. Areas within 150 miles of the Mississippi River have the most predominant occurrence of heartworm in the U.S.
Left untreated, heartworm is a deadly disease. Its progression is traumatic: a dog will become listless and tire easily, he may cough up blood, and he will lose weight and have difficulty breathing. Ultimately, heartworm will cause congestive heart or liver failure.
The heartworm-positive dogs who have arrived at the League from Louisiana are in more advanced stages of the disease than we typically see, but are totally treatable through a series of injections over a course of six to eight weeks. Treatment is often uncomfortable, but we administer pain medication and ensure that the dogs are kept quiet and as comfortable as possible throughout treatment.
All have excellent prognoses, and once they recover, will lead happy, healthy lives. "They'll make perfectly normal pets with no special needs," says Gary Weitzman, DVM, WARL's medical director. "They'll be able to go jogging, drive race cars, anything they want."
Heartworm treatment is extraordinarily expensive—private veterinarians charge $600-$1,000. Of course, for these shelter animals, no one is there to pay their bills; we rely on the support of WARL's generous friends.
The Love Fund was established several years ago as a way to provide emergency care for seriously injured animals who are abandoned or live with low-income residents in our community who cannot afford the costs of major surgery. To support the Love Fund, please call 202.726.2556, ext. 315.
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