Dot may lose sight in her eye!

To Donate via Check:

Send check to:
Above & Beyond - Help Dot!
60 Molleystown Rd.
Pine Grove, PA. 17963

 

    Hi! My name is Dot. I'm a 1.5 year old English Setter who has recently moved from the warmer climes to cold Northwest Ohio. I have been asked to tell my story in hope it will save other dogs from my situation. So get comfortable…it’s a long one! I am currently in the loving care of Above and Beyond English Setter rescue. A number of caring people gave up part of their weekend to help me move to a safer place over a 2 day transport. Along the way I heard things like “emaciated”, “malnourished” “heartworm positive” and “timid”. Not sure what they mean, I knew only that I was scared and that I hurt; my ears hurt, it hurt when I went to the bathroom, it hurt when I coughed (which was all the time) and worst or all my right eye really hurt! But that seemed to be behind me and I have since been learning to live in a home with regular meals and people that want to cuddle with me. That took some getting used to, but boy do I like it! Things were really looking up and then Bam! Everything changed again and not in a good way this time. As it turns out one of the nasty heartworms managed to find its way to my eye where it is now living. A special vet said this is very rare and that the worm needed to be removed right away or I could lose my eye. A & B stood by me even when they learned it would be an expensive procedure and I was preparing for the surgery and then Bam! More bad news. It turns out I am highly infected with heartworm and there is a large clump in my pulmonary artery. As a result surgery is very risky and I would probably not survive. But if we don’t remove the worm in my eye it will die when I am treated for the heartworm and that will likely result in losing my eye altogether. And in the meantime my eye still hurts! So for now I am in limbo. I am in the pretreatment stages for the heartworm and I can’t run, jump or play. Before I have my first heartworm injection (which I’ve heard is not fun) they will check again to see if the worms have moved and if surgery is an option. If not, I will get my treatment, the worm will die and later I will have my eye removed... if I survive the heartworm treatment of course. Highly infected, remember? There are a lot of unknowns in my future but I am remaining positive and focusing on the many things I have to be thankful for. Whatever happens I will have known a warm bed, nutritious food and people that care about me. Are you one of those people? Would you please consider donating to my care and help me live to be a healthy young setter? I hate to ask but I do need your help! And if you are unable to donate would you please consider doing the following? Hug your pets close and let them know how much you love them. Spread the word to anyone that will listen or read….heartworms are a debilitating, cruel condition and all pets should be on heartworm preventative! Thank you for reading my story and wish me luck! Love, Dot  

*Update: Dot is clear of live heartworms. The dead worms need to work through her system. Unfortunately, the worm is her eye, did cause her to lose sight in that eye and is very painful. Her eye will be removed March 16. Because of her delicate health, a specialist must remove her eye, so we are still in need of donated funds for Dot. Thank you all for your continued good wishes and donations.