[Dori]

Hi Losul. I read your last post last night and was too saddened by it to respond at that time. I for one am sorry that a thread that you started a year ago when you were horrified, as many of us were, to learn of Turbo’s HW positive test has upset you enough that you will leave it. I will continue to keep you, Turbo and your family in my thoughts and prayers and hope that the test results turned out the way you wanted them to. If they did, then I am delighted for you all. If they didn’t, it doesn’t mean that they won’t with the next tests. I think somewhere you had said that you were having the tests done sooner than the vet had suggested anyway so it doesn’t mean that your choices for Turbo aren’t working. Please remember that none of us know what choices we would make when faced with the situation in our own dog. We are quick to respond and research and think that in any emergency situation that life throws at us in any given circumstance we know exactly what we would do and that doesn’t just mean about our dogs. I mean ANY situation. That’s such a ludicrous thought. We’ve al,l at some point, done the complete opposite of what we thought we would under an emergency situation. Anyway, did not mean to go off in a different direction. Please know that I will miss your posts, your wry humor and your vast knowledge. Your posts have helped me enormously and I will miss you. Be well friend, I wish you only the best. Dori

• This reply was modified 9 years, 8 months ago by Dori.

[InkedMarie]

I haven’t posted much in this thread, if at all but I’ve been following along. Sorry you’re going thru a hard time, Losul.

[losul]

everyone, thank you, I know my decision not to post results publicly is a hard one to understand. It was very hard for me to make, and not what i wanted or had intended at all. There were alot of considerations most won’t understand. Anyway, do not make any assumptions from my decision, they may very well be the wrong ones. And don’t fret about Turbo. He’s fine.

Glenna, I sent an EM

[Bobby dog]

Please don’t be a stranger again!!!! I have missed your posts over the last few months. I have no doubt Turbo is fine!!!!!! 😉

[Glenna S]

Dear losul: It has been a little over a year since you and I talked about our dogs, Toby and Rex being diagnosed with heartworms and having been on heart worm preventative all year round. Our vet’s advice was to do an “alternative” treatment plan using Doxycycline and Advantage Multi. Your helpful and extensive knowledge with Turbo (I believe is your dogs name) furthered our decision to go this route. We are so Happy and Pleased to let you know that we just returned from the vet and both Toby and Rex are heartworm free. Many thanks again to you for your encouragement – may this year be a blessed one for you.

[losul]

Hello again Glenna

That’s such wonderful news, I’m so happy now for you and your crew!!! My heart and thoughts were much with you over the holidays, and I was feeling very compelled too write you again having to ask very soon, if no hearing anything. So thank you VERY much for letting me know!

Best wishes and may you and all the rest of your family also continue to have a blessed year!

[DogFoodie]

Hi Losul! I sure miss seeing you around! I’m glad you checked in, as you’ve been on my mind lately. Hope all is well with you. 🙂

Great news, Glenna!

[losul]

Hello Dogfoodie!

I’m still O.K. 🙂 It’s not that i wouldn’t have like to be able to participate more. Please let it suffice to say, I’ve become largely inactive out of personal necessity, and that I have this flaw where I gett overly sensitive about things and dont seem to handle stress very well. Wish I could explain better, but I hope you can kinda understand.

Thank you for the kind sentiment.

I’m Wishing only the very best things into the future for you in to the future ( and the same for all the other fine, folks on DFA)!!!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Losul-
Glad to hear your voice. LOL! We do get a little (a lot) stupid on this site at times. I totally understand and I don’t think it’s a flaw. I wish you and your family well. 🙂

Woo Hoo!, Glenna! I’m sure that it has been a stressful time and now you can celebrate! Hugs to Toby and Rex.

[Glenna S]

Thanks to all of you. Believe me, Toby and Rex are getting plenty of hugs. Having been tested positive for heartworms on Christmas Eve, 2014, 2015 was indeed a year of stress. Best Wishes for the New Year to you all. Again, losul, thank you so ever much!

[Bobby dog]

Hello losul:
Hope all is well with Turbo and good to see you pop in!!

Glenna:
Congrats, what a relief and wonderful gift for the New Year!

[InkedMarie]

Great to see you posting, Losul. I hope things improve for you!

[El]

Hi Losul

I’m glad that everything worked out well for you and turbo! I hope the new year brings you less stress 😉

[losul]

Yeah right James. To all those with the GENUINE words that I hadn’t yet gotten back to, C4C, Glenna, BobbyDog, InkedMarie, anyone else, thank you for all the kindness and support. Turbo’s awesome, and I’m doing fine!

I hadn’t really planned on ever even announcing it here, but O.K. A year ago yesterday Turbo tested HW negative. Which means he would have already been HW free for at least 5 to 6 months prior too that I believe, because it takes that long for antigens to disappear from the blood after the worms are gone. The heartworms are long gone. He never had HW disease, he had a HW infection and remained healthy and asymptomatic throughout except for some minor coughing for 2 days, I think that was late June 2014, only about 4 months after starting advantage multi for treatment. The vet attributed this to worm dieoff. When the worms die, they aren’t digested in the stomach, – they decay, break up, and have to be absorbed by the lungs.

At the end of this month, he’ll go for his yearly physical, bloodwork, etc. again. Again my deep gratitude all those that supported and helped us!!

[InkedMarie]

So glad to read that. Losul! Give Turbo a hug from me!

[DogFoodie]

Great news, Losul!

Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us. I’m so grateful and I learned so much in the conversation.

I miss you being around more often, but I respect your privacy as well.

[crazy4cats]

Yippee!! Thanks for sharing. I hope you stick around a bit. Obviously, your “DFA girls” miss you!

[Bobby dog]

Hi losul:
Wonderful update and very appreciative of you sharing. I learned a great deal from all who contributed to this thread. All this info is going to be very helpful to anyone who finds their self in this predicament.

I miss that sense of humor!!! I hope you pop in more often, I miss your posts too. 😉

[C4D]

Hi losul,

Glad to hear that you and Turbo are doing well! It’s nice to see you on the forum again. I always like to hear other people’s thoughts, experiences and opinions. I don’t always agree with all, but it makes for great discussion. I appreciate the backing I’ve gotten from you in the past. 😉

[Julie D]

Hi Losul,

I just came across your thread. I went through a very similar process with my pointer.. I read MANY studies and talked to some of the heartworm experts. I had the whole diagnostic panel with x Ray and ultrasound done. I live in a dry, western state but adopted a dog from Texas that popped positive for HW. Based upon everything I learned and against the advice of the university vet ( my own vet was agreeable to the slow kill), I decided to go doxy with advantage multi. My dog had some interesting short term platelet numbers on lab results about 3.5 months into the treatment. I came to the conclusion it was probably worm die off. It resolved itself in about a week. The heartworm business is A BUSINESS! It’s so unfortunate, because I think that dogs with low worm burdens and their owners could be saved some pain and discomfort with this slow kill method. I plan on testing my girl at 7 months and agin at a year if she’s still positive.

[anonymously]

Just talked to an acquaintance this morning at the laundromat. His dog that he adopted from one of those shelters down south is heartworm positive. Didn’t show up till he had the dog for over a year. I am glad he is going with the standard protocol (3 step treatment).

This is nothing to mess with, kill those heartworms. Quick and clean. Get rid of them!

[Author]

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