I've been quiet here lately just because I've been doing the 'one day at a time' thing. Also I wanted to post something FUN instead of moaning about my German residency or whatever else.
This is not that post.
I've just come from the vet, ostensibly to pick up Carbon's rabies titre test results (preparing for whatever Brexit may or may not bring), get the results of his urine analysis and pick up a new supply of Milbemax as monthly heart worm preventative before we head out of Germany. Germany, or at least this part of it, doesn't have heart worm, so I don't use the tablets here.
Rabies titre fine. Crystals in his urine and too high protein so he will need a special diet. As he's on Alopurinol, this was not a massive surprise, though worrisome.
Then came the news I would have NEVER expected: Carbon has tested positive for heart worm.
"HOW??" was my first question. Apparently he could have tested false negative nearly a year ago in the shelter in Spain. Also the medications given to me by shelter that I then used all spring could have been out of date or otherwise inert. We'll never know and I can only hope that he did somehow become positive more recently, as that would mean he wouldn't have had heart worms affecting his body for nearly a year.
I had Paul (Carbon's Bodeguero buddy from the shelter) while he was going through his heart worm treatment. It's so painful. And to add to the injury to Carbon, he is not to run or go off leash until his treatment is completed...at least two months but probably more like three.
I'l start another thread to log the medical side of the heart worm, in case it can help anyone else later. But to start today he got topical and oral Doxycyclin for a month. This apparently weakens the adult tapeworm and is a sort of pre treatment done for a month before the injections happen.
Carbon also has an appointment for tomorrow afternoon for a heart ultrasound to see how affected his heart is.
Still shaking my head at how this could happen and so upset and sad for Carbon.
