Updates On 19th Dec 2014
SPCA Singapore 
Dec 19, 2014 
NGOs, SPCA Singapore 
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Fighting Heartworm, heart-warmingly – the story of DAZZLER:
Dazzler is an SPCA Cross-Breed dog, inflicted with heartworm disease. Presently, hes living with his fosterer, Rebecca, a volunteer dogwalker with the SPCA. Right from the point he was found with the disease, Rebeccas journey with him has been an emotional rollercoaster and it still hasnt ended.
Their story started way back when, as a regular dogwalker, Rebecca was given the opportunity to mentor Dazzler during which time she set her heart and eyes on him, and has not looked away since.
Weve had a chat with Rebecca to find out more about Dazzler, how hes doing now, and what lies ahead for him. Read on for her account of their journey 2-gether:
I experienced so many emotions when I heard that Dazzler had tested positive for heartworm disease. I was shocked that it happened to Dazzler, and surprised to learn that not only him, but a few other dogs had also tested positive for the disease. I greatly feared that the disease might have progressed into its advanced stages, and his life and our would-be adventures together would be
curtailed. It also upset me, because I know heartworm is easily preventable, but the situation could not be helped due to the lack of resources and funds.
My family and I unhesitatingly made the decision to foster Dazzler after we did some research and learned more about the disease. We found out that easily excitable dogs with heartworms had a decreased chance of survival, and having mentored Dazzler for a period of time, I knew that he was easily riled up whenever his kennel neighbours got excited. A shelter environment would not be the best
place to treat him (or any other dog!) and so we brought him home to give him the best, hoping that he could recover fast and well.
The treatment process has not been easy on Dazzler. He had to be on daily medication for the first few months as well as a monthly heartworm prevention medication, Heartgard, to get rid of any parasites in the larval stage. He’s also had to endure three painful injections of Immiticide to kill the adult parasites. The first jab he received caused him to have a slight limp for the next day, and his discomfort was obvious but there was not much we could do to ease the pain. It was heartbreaking to see a usually cheerful pup curled up quietly in his bed after receiving his jabs.
It is also a tough time for us, as his caretakers. Dazzler is timid by nature, and got startled easily when he first arrived in our home. We had to find ways and means to help him stay calm and cope with the many new sights and sounds he had never experienced before, having lived in the shelter from birth. We also have to constantly monitor his condition – I remember an incident when Dazzler started breathing heavily and we were so worried when we measured his
respiration rate and found that it was higher than normal. We later found out that it was due to his medication, which has had a couple of side-effects.
Despite his affliction, Dazzler has been a very, very brave pup, and hes a ray of sunshine around the house. His condition is stable at the moment, although we still try to keep him as calm and relaxed as possible, as he has yet to take the final test to confirm if hes free from heartworms. We are keeping our spirits up and our fingers (and paws!) crossed.
To help our dogs like Dazzler combat the ravages of heartworm, we rely on preventive medication (typically in the form of annual injections and/or monthly prevention tablets; the tablets typically cost about S$10 apiece. The SPCA shelter presently administers heartworm preventive medication, on a monthly basis, to all its dogs.
Generously helping the SPCA out, in helping defray the costs of fighting heartworm, is a current campaign: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-right-side-of-the-fence
Come help us help our shelter dogs, by:
spreading the word about this campaign (and by sharing it online); and/or
volunteering as a dog mentor / walker at our shelter;
pledging your Christmas gifts to our dogs by getting your family and friends to contribute to this campaign; and last, but not least,
if you have space in your heart for one more dog (or cat or rabbit or hamster), do consider adopting your lifelong furry companion from our shelter.
(N.B. Monetary contributions can be made through debit/credit card transactions or PayPal.)
Source: https://www.facebook.com/spcasingapore/photos/pcb.1015260101..
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