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"Davey"
Davey is about 10-12 years old. He is a beautiful red sable (still getting his hair back!). He was found as a stray and was in the advanced stages of heartworm disease. Davey came through the treatments like a trooper. He is our "miracle" dog. He over came bronchitis and heartworm but still has some lung damage from it.
Now, Davey is neutered, up to date on shots and doing just fine. He's ready for his forever home! Can it be your's? He is low thyroid, but that's no big deal and very treatable. He has some arthritis but has no problem jumping up on the couch with you for some love! He even barks to come in...and loves to go Bye-bye! He does take a breathing medication but it's very inexpensive and no bother to give.
If you would like to add Davey to your family, please contact me at CenOHSheltieResc@aol.com.Davey is eligible for our "Seniors for Seniors" program or as a forever foster! Won't you give Davey the chance to live his life out in peace with you? You can be Davey's sponsor for $40.00 a month!
Davey's health is failing lately. We will be moving him to the "forever" foster program. Please remember him in your prayers. He doesn't deserve all this after such a rough life. I'm doing my best to make the time he has left memorable.
Check back in a few weeks for "Davey's Diary"...the life of a dog with heartworm disease. After reading it, I think you'll never miss one of those pills again!
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Davey just wants to be loved...help me write a happy ending to this poor guy's story...
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Davey 1993-7/10/2005
It is truly with a deeply saddened and heavy heart that I write this final chapter of Davey's story. Davey never got to realize his dream of having his own family to love. But, then again, I think he knew he was in his forever home. Unfortunately, he hadn't filled me in on that minute detail.
You see on Sunday, July 10, 2005, Davey was taken home to be with our Father in Heaven. He went quietly without struggle or discomfort from what we could tell. I can only imagine what Davey's trip across that rainbow bridge had to be like with Sonny, Leo, Tad, Hope and Stormy there to meet him. Oh, the scene had to be something.
As I sit here weeks later typing this with tears streaming down my face, I have to share with you my renewed vow that his death would not be in vain. You see, we tried everything in our power to save him and give him a "quality" life. That's more than his previous owners obviously did. Davey got his name because he was facing "Goliath" in the form of heartworm disease. Davey came to us in July of last year with
"advanced stage" heartworm disease. I believe the vet called it a stage 3C. That's one hitch from "it's too late to treat it".
The x-rays showed that his heart was shaped irregularly and his lungs looked odd. This was from the huge number of heartworm that were in there. For those of you that don't know it...heartworm can be prevented by simply giving the dog an inexpensive pill once a month all year round. This pill kills any microfilaria that the mosquito introduces to the blood stream when it bites the dog. Once the microfilaria begin to reproduce and grow they expand to include the lungs and the veins as well.
Once treatment is started to kill the worms (his had to be done very slowly to make sure there weren't too many dying at one time which would cause the veins to clog), the worms will flow in the blood stream to lungs where they are reabsorbed by the body.
Davey was touch and go during these treatments, but came through like the fighter he was...then, the second stage was set to begin. The second stage involved mega doses of ivermectin to kill any babies that were still in the blood. Well, I took him in to have the heartworm test done before starting this stage because we needed to know that the adults were dead (the adults give off proteins that are detected in the heartworm test). And, we had our miracle. Davey was completely heartworm free. The vet ran the test three times just to be sure...and sure enough he was negative.
You see, the only explanation is that God answered my prayers. Just prior to that test Davey had contracted bronchitis during the 6 days over Christmas 2004 that I had no power and therefore, no heat. As much as I did to try to keep them warm and safe, he still got sick. He got very ill in January. I prayed and prayed over him because I was so scared. Then, he suddenly got better and the test was done...and presto, he was finally Negative!
In March he was doing so well that we went ahead and neutered him. All bloodwork showed normal values. All looked good. I wrote that piece above hoping Davey would finally realize his dream.
Silly me. I didn't see his dream had already been fulfilled. Sometimes, we get so busy trying to care for these guys, especially the special needs ones, that we forget to stop and smell the roses.
I didn't realize until the day that I had to rush him in the vet on an emergency basis how much effort and love I was truly putting into Davey and his care. I've said it before, and I'll say it again...If LOVE alone could heal these guys, I'd have to move to a bigger home.
I was going to a full "diary" of Davey's notes during his illness so some of you could see just how horrible this disease is...but, I can't bring myself to do it. Those notes are graphic and let's face it...the message and the reality of it is this...GIVE THEM THE HEARTWORM PREVENTATIVE. If you really love your dog as family member, you won't have a problem with this idea. If you don't and you won't give them the medicine, then do them a favor and find them a new home that will. NONE of them deserve to die this way. NONE! It is preventable. That's where my anger (and my volunteers second this) lies. It doesn't have to happen and it shouldn't.
If you never remember anything else from all this...remember Davey would have loved to had the chance to take that pill once a month.....remember Davey...give the medicine.
Penny G. Sanderbeck
President, foster and missing Davey...
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This is how pitiful he looked the day I picked him up!
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This is after the bath and four hours of brushing!
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After a Heartworm treatment
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This one has become everyone that knew Davey's favorite photo. You see he had so very little before coming to us. And, most times in life, we take the simple things like a roll on the leather couch for granted...Davey didn't. He showed me how to love today for everything it had to offer...for you never know what tomorrow will bring.
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Davey loves Leather!
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