The past week was another busy one at Have a Heart. Kodiak, a Husky dog, was adopted as well as kitties Fallyn, Annie and a beautiful Himalayan cat named Merlin. In addition to day to day care and adoptions, our volunteers were busy getting 8 dogs ready to go on transport next week. We also finished registering for the upcoming Low Cost Spay and Neuter clinic. The clinic and the stand-by list are full. The dates for the next Clinic are June 15th – June 17th. We will begin registering about 6 weeks before the clinic dates.
Our featured kitty for the week is a handsome long haired subtly striped grey tabby named Goliath. His fur is gorgeous and he looks like a soft gray poofy cotton ball! Goliath is estimated to be about 6 months young. He and his brother Samson are easy going and playful. They have adapted well to life in the cattery. Goliath enjoys going out into the attached Catio to play on the shelves, tree climb and watch the birds at the feeder. He has a quiet meow and isn’t very vocal.
We are not featuring a specific dog for the week. In the past week HAH has taken in 3 dogs that ALL tested positive for heartworms. In light of this situation HAH would like to share some information regarding heartworm disease in dogs. Heartworm is a serious disease. The spaghetti-like worms, which can grow up to a foot in length, live in the hearts, lungs and blood vessels of infected animals. They are carried by mosquitoes that transmit the worms when they bite other animals. The worms then circulate in the bloodstream where they mature, multiply and can eventually obstruct the flow of blood to the heart and lungs. If left untreated, heartworm can be fatal. Heartworm symptoms in dogs include persistent coughing, fatigue after exercise, decreased appetite, decreased desire to exercise, and weight loss. Heartworms’ long-term effects in an untreated dog may cause lasting damage to the heart, lungs, and arteries. The best way to avoid heartworm disease is to give your dog heartworm preventive once-a-month. Your pet MUST test negative for heartworms before starting them on heartworm prevention or there could be serious complications. There is a common misconception that there is not a mosquito problem in our area since the lakes and rivers are moving bodies of water and mosquitoes wouldn’t be able to breed. While this may be true of the lakes and rivers, there are plenty of other places where water can stand long enough to become breeding ground for mosquitoes. This includes old tires, buckets and stagnant ponds. If your dog does contract heartworm the treatment is expensive and always carries some risk to the dog. Veterinarians recommend keeping your dog on heartworm prevention year-round. The cost of preventative medicine is about $200.00 a year compared to over $800.00 for treatment if your pet contracts heartworms. (Costs vary depending on the dog’s size). It is certainly better to prevent the disease than to deal with its consequences. Speak to your vet or one of our HAH volunteers for more information about heartworms. Have a Heart is located at 657 Highway 202 in Yellville. Hours are Thursday through Saturday, 9am – 3pm. Phone 870-449-7387.