Death from Distemper or heartworms is not quick, the suffering is immense. There is no cure for Distemper, and any treatment available is only meant to ease suffering or help the dog stay strong enough to attempt to fight the virus on it’s own. Distemper slowly destroys, the lymphoid organs, respiratory organs, gastrointestinal organs, and urogenital organs, one-by-one. Most dogs that die from distemper, die from neurological complications, many of which are horrific to witness: swelling of the brain, seizures, deterioration of mental and muscle function, paralysis, disabling muscle spasms, depression and an increased sensitivity to stimuli like pain or touch. Heartworms is as equally devastating. Read Livy’s story to understand why waiting to see if a dog gets heartworms to take action is not only expensive but very, very dangerous for the dog.
Ruby was very, very lucky to have survived and found a wonderful home to live out a healthy and happy life. Her illnesses were easily avoidable with simple and relatively inexpensive preventive measures. Sadly, heartworm prevention costs only about $7-$10 a month, and the DHLP-P vaccination, which protects against more than just Distemper, costs only about $8-$12 a year. The cost in your time to carry out this prevention is even less. We hope that Ruby’s story (below) and the suffering she had to endure will educate so that other dogs don't have to suffer or die from these preventable diseases.
Ruby was very, very lucky to have survived and found a wonderful home to live out a healthy and happy life. Her illnesses were easily avoidable with simple and relatively inexpensive preventive measures. Sadly, heartworm prevention costs only about $7-$10 a month, and the DHLP-P vaccination, which protects against more than just Distemper, costs only about $8-$12 a year. The cost in your time to carry out this prevention is even less. We hope that Ruby’s story (below) and the suffering she had to endure will educate so that other dogs don't have to suffer or die from these preventable diseases.
May 25: My German Shepherd
May 17: Olivia, Henrietta, Sunshine and Ruby
April 10: First Trip to the Beach
April 10: A Good Friday
I decided today that Ruby deserved a very special trip to the beach. She gets to go lots of places with all of us, and she just loves long hikes, but she's always stayed behind for the beach trips. With all the birds, strange dogs, and cars I have always been uncertain that she wouldn't revert back to her old "wild child" ways when faced with all that sensory overload. But, today I think she's ready. I loaded just Ruby and Henri in the car and headed out with foster mom Pat and her youngest dogs, Star and Rufus. We walked for seven miles! Ruby had so much fun trotting along and checking out all the dead fish, seaweed and jelly fish. Ruby is not a fan of rain--not at all--so it was no surprise that she could not see the point in getting wet in the waves, either. She was startled by the waves at first, but we made a game of jumping the moving foam to go get a tasty treat, so she didn't mind getting her feet wet every so often. She's a bit more of a land lover, though, and had way more fun staying just out of reach of the surf, right next to Henri and Rufus. Ruby was allowed to walk in her harness and on her 20 foot long line. When she was well enough to go on walks last summer she was too wild to take on hikes on a long line and harness, she would run too fast and get too revved up at anything and everything. However, today, Ruby was excellent! She trotted along and would come to me quickly when I called her back in from the end of the line. She eventually preferred to trot along near us instead of pulling like a freight train at the end of her long line. She would calmly approach strangers to say hi (and roll over for belly rubs, of course). She watched cars pass, but did not chase them. Best of all, she quietly and calmly watched Star chase the birds. Last summer, Ruby could NOT handle other dogs running around, much less chasing birds! The mere sight of a dog would send her into a barking frenzy and a running dog would make her go wild on the end of her leash. But not today! She'd prick up her ears and watch, but then look back at me to see if I had a treat for her good behavior. She was definitely interested and could have easily tried to join in the game, but she worked very hard to keep herself collected and focused on the little random jobs I was giving her as we walked --- hand touches, downs, sits, spins, and a few seconds of heelwork here and there. She didn't bark or go wild once! She has come so far since last summer. In short, she was a pleasure to have along and was no trouble at all (even Henri agreed). The big photo above is at the end of our hike, just before heading home. Anyone up for seven more miles?
