And, on the eight day......

The Lord Ripley rested, asleep on the corduroy couch in his daddy's office. He was not feeling well, and considering this was the eighth day following sequential shots of Immiticide, this was expected.

Ripley had tested "heartworm positive" as disclosed by the Tampa Bay Beagle Rescue (TBBR), and before he could be fully adopted into his forever home, he would have to undergo heartworm treatment at the TBBR veterinarian in St. Pete Beach. Dr. Rose took in our little boy on the 29th (our 39th anniversary, but who's counting) and he got his first shot that morning, followed by a second shot the next day. It's a two step process, and administered into the muscle on the dog's back. If Ripley could talk, it would be an "OUCH" moment. The wonderful lady at TBBR we work with told us "keep him quiet for two weeks following the treatment, and you should not let him get excited or overstressed". Looking at the pictures, I think you can agree this boy is not overstressed, but loves his daddy for sure.

The recommended treatment was two injections of Immiticide, an arsenic compound by shot into the dog's muscle mass on his hindquarters. It attacks the heartworm living IN the dog's heart, dissolving it and allowing the worm to be absorbed into the blood stream where it dissipates and becomes inert (to my understanding). Following the shots, the dog must remain severely restricted in exercise (no running, jumping, throwing balls, etc.), which often means caged. Our boy is good in his cage, but better near his daddy, as evidenced in the pictures. His daddy is better near his dog, so a mutual admiration society exists here.

In four to six months, Ripley will have another blood test, and hopefully will come back completely clean. He also starts a regular heartworm prevention routine, as these worms are carried by mosquitoes, and unless you live in a bubble you're going to experience them in Florida. At first, I didn't know much about heartworms, having only experienced one of our five prior beagles having a tapeworm (she was a stray whom we found at the pound in St. Louis. Tapeworms are expelled from the body, and when they go, it's dramatic. For this heartworm, only time will tell.

With many thanks to the TBBR volunteers, Ripley experienced great treatment at the hands of veterinarian Dr. Rose in St. Pete Beach, and we started counting the days till he became our forever dog. On the 13th of this month, his "administrative mommy" Madeleine will visit, and hopefully we'll see transfer of his paperwork and microchip to our name, making that second and final payment to TBBR for his care. His first "foster mommy" Lori will be proud of him for being such a good rescue, and we have nothing but praise for this organization.

Ripley, believe it or not, has hit the low point of his recovery (the 8th day after) and is expected to improve and get back his old persona soon. Until then, we'll lovingly lift him onto the couch or Bark-o-Lounger, give him lots of pets and belly rubs, and tell him how much we love him and that, like a tape worm, this too shall pass.