Copper was a stray dog who was obviously abused by his previous owners. He had heartworms, and was probably not going to live very much longer on his own. If you are considering a dog as a pet, please check your local animal shelter. With a little love and affection, these dogs who have been abused and abandoned can become a great pet and a very important part of your life.
At the end of 1999, Copper had heartworm treatments which were unsuccessful in getting rid of the heartworms Around the first of June 2000 he again underwent treatment for heartworms. Unfortunately, this treatment was also unsuccessful.
After discussing the situation with Copper's Vet, we have decided to hold off on any heartworm treatments for the time being. Copper is doing very well and showing no real symptoms or ill effects of the heartworms. Since as few as 1 or 2 adult worms can cause a positive test result, my Vet is confident that he will be OK so long as he continues his monthly anti-heartworm preventative.
In addition to the heartworm problems, Copper was very sick during the end of March 2001. He had internal bleeding in his urinary and digestive systems. Copper lost a lot of blood and was in the hospital for 4 days. He came very close to passing away, but he has now made a full recovery and is doing fine again. They don't know what exactly caused the bleeding, but the vet's best guess is that he somehow got into some rat poison. I don't know how he could have gotten into rat poison, but I am very relieved that he is still with me :-)
In May of 2003 Copper went to the vet and he was in good health. He continues to do well even though he is still positive for heartworms. He likes to run around the yard or in the Park. My upstairs neighbor has a big, black, lab / retriever mix named Mollie, and Copper loves to play with her. When I travel for work Copper stays with Mollie.
After an uneventful year, Copper visited the vet in June of 2004 and I was happy to find out that he no longer has heartworms. The vet is not sure why, but the theory is that the near death experience that almost killed Copper did a number on the heartworms and it just took a while for the heartworms to make their way out of Copper's system.
As we have moved into 2005 Copper will occasionally pinch a nerve in his neck. This is a very serious thing for a dog because it causes great pain and can be quire debilitating. When this happens Copper can barely move and it is quite obvious he is in a lot of pain. Luckily this has only happened twice in the last two years, and both times have been treated with a visit to the vet to get some steroid shots along with some steroid pills. Hopefully I can keep him away from bigger and younger dogs that like to play rough so he won't pinch the nerve again. All in all he is doing quite well for an 11 year old dog, but the problems with the pinched nerve in his neck are effectively ending his off roading trips. He still loves to ride in the Dodge Ram, so he will still be my Co-pilot!
|
