Heartworm Prevention
Warm weather is approaching...
With the warmer weather comes the increased chances for spring storms resulting in moisture so we can expect a lot of encounters with the pesky mosquito.
What is heartworm, and why is it such a big deal?
Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal disease that is caused by foot-long worms (heartworms) that live in the heart, lungs and associated blood vessels of affected pets, causing severe lung disease, heart failure and damage to other organs in the body.
Is my dog at risk?
The dog is a natural host for heartworms, which means that heartworms that live inside the dog mature into adults, mate and produce offspring. If untreated, their numbers can increase, and dogs have been known to harbor several hundred worms in their bodies. Heartworm disease causes lasting damage to the heart, lungs and arteries, and can affect the dog's health and quality of life long after the parasites are gone. For this reason, prevention is by far the best option, and treatment-when needed-should be administered as early in the course of the disease as possible.
How does my dog even get heartworm in the first place?
Note that heartworm is NOT contagious from dog to dog.
The mosquito plays an essential role in the heartworm life cycle. Adult female heartworms living in an infected dog produce microscopic baby worms called microfilaria that circulate in the bloodstream. When a mosquito bites and takes a blood meal from an infected animal, it picks up these baby worms, which develop and mature into "infective stage" larvae over a period of 10 to 14 days. Then, when the infected mosquito bites another animal, the infective larvae are deposited onto the surface of the animal's skin and enter the new host through the mosquito's bite wound. Once inside a new host, it takes approximately 6 months for the larvae to mature into adult heartworms. Once mature, heartworms can live for 5 to 7 years in dogs and up to 2 or 3 years in cats. Because of the longevity of these worms, each mosquito season can lead to an increasing number of worms in an infected pet.
How will I know if my dog has heartworm?
The only way to confirm your dog is positive is having a heartworm test done at a vet clinic. Blood is drawn and tested. Testing is recommended once a year. for puppies they should be placed on heartworm preventative as early as five months of age and tested at the age of one year.
In the early stages of the disease, many dogs show few symptoms or no symptoms at all. The longer the infection persists, the more likely symptoms will develop. Active dogs, dogs heavily infected with heartworms, or those with other health problems often show pronounced clinical signs.
Signs of heartworm disease may include a mild persistent cough, reluctance to exercise, fatigue after moderate activity, decreased appetite, and weight loss. As heartworm disease progresses, pets may develop heart failure and the appearance of a swollen belly due to excess fluid in the abdomen. Dogs with large numbers of heartworms can develop a sudden blockages of blood flow within the heart leading to a life-threatening form of cardiovascular collapse. This is called caval syndrome, and is marked by a sudden onset of labored breathing, pale gums, and dark bloody or coffee-colored urine. Without prompt surgical removal of the heartworm blockage, few dogs survive.
Can I prevent this from happening?
YES, ensure your dog is on monthly heartworm preventative and tested every year.
The earlier it is detected, the better the chances the pet will recover. There are few, if any, early signs of disease when a dog or cat is infected with heartworms, so detecting their presence with a heartworm test administered by a veterinarian is important. The test requires just a small blood sample from your pet, and it works by detecting the presence of heartworm proteins.
Annual testing is necessary, even when dogs are on heartworm prevention year-round, to ensure that the prevention program is working. Heartworm medications are highly effective, but dogs can still become infected. If you miss just one dose of a monthly medication-or give it late-it can leave your dog unprotected. Even if you give the medication as recommended, your dog may spit out or vomit a heartworm pill-or rub off a topical medication. Heartworm preventives are highly effective, but not 100 percent effective. If you don't get your dog test, you won't know your dog needs treatment.
Talk to your vet about the best heartworm prevention regimen for your dog.
Click
here to learn more about heartworm disease and prevention.
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Retro Portraits
$20 per portrait, includes shipping
Each print is 8 x 10 inches. Includes backing board, artist bio, and poly sleeve. Note, this is an unframed art print.
Instructions
- We ship only in the United States.
- We require pre-payment for the item via check or paypal by the 15th of the current month
- Fundraiser will run from the 1st through the 15th of the current month
- Items will be shipped by the 25th of the current month regular mail.
Schedule (
click here for the 2018 monthly schedule)
January's earnings on tote bags:
raised $231.96
February's earnings on bows:
raised $26
April's earnings on garden flags:
raised $251.75
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Medical Educational -Graphic-
My male dog's lipstick is exposed and not going back in place.
What do I do?
The condition is referred to as paraphimosis which occurs when the glans
 penis is unable to be properly retracted within the foreskin (prepuce). An exposed lipstick is not uncommon especially when a male dog or cat, of any age, gets aroused. In most cases the body takes care of itself but sometimes it is exposed too long that it will get swollen and/or dried up that human intervention is needed.
The condition requires a visit to the vet when irritation and dryness occurs on the surface of the penis after the glans has protruded for more than one hour. Do not take this lightly as it is a serious condition; if lasting longer than an hour, you should seek help from a veterinarian. Under no circumstances should it go on for a day.
If occurrence is less than an hour of exposure, resolving paraphimosis can be relatively simple. An owner can apply some lubricant (personal, sterile surgical, moisturizing lotion, other) to the glans penis and gently try to press it back into the prepuce (or slide the prepuce forward over the glans).
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Adoptable Dog of the Month - Horu
I am a 6 yr old playful little guy who loves to play tug of war and ball (still learning to drop it).
I need a home with a fenced in yard as I love to play but also sun bath. Exploring is fun too.
I can't be in the same house with another dog because I'm top dog. I have gotten better around them as far as not lunging but preference is that I do not share my home with them or yard.
I am working on playing softer so no small children on a full time basis in my home
I love to sleep in bed with foster mom and burrow under the blankets to get covered up.
I love to go for rides.
~~~Click
here
to learn more about this dog!~~~
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My husband and I adopted "Rowdy," who we re-named Otis, about two years
ago. He was a very senior Boston who had had serious ear infections in
the past. Before we got Otis we had another rescue Boston for ten
years. His name was Harry, and he still holds my heart. In a moment of
impulse grief, after losing Harry to a heart attack, I signed on to
adopt Otis. Otis was not a substitute for Harry, but he worked very hard to
help me recover from the loss. He latched on to me from day one. He f
ollowed me everywhere and dominated my lap at rest time. He slept
beside me every night and fussed at the other two dogs if they tried to
get too close to me. I believe he came to me with a job to do and he
took that very seriously.
Unlike most Bostons, he had a way of
communicating with me through various barks and whines and shrieks. We
treated those miserable cauliflower ears and pampered him just as he
deserved. Near the end, he developed a very erratic gait due to what I
suspect was some neurological problem. Each day when I drove into the
driveway,
he ran toward me like a drunken sailor, barking and chirping
his silly greeting. The rest of every evening belonged to him. I loved
him. Though his days with us were short, about a year, I will never
forget the power of his loyalty and affection. My little champion, Otis.
-- Trish F.
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SHOPPING that gives back to MABTR
Spring is here! Why not curl up on your favorite lawn chair with a heartwarming book full of short stories about rescued Boston Terriers while your dogs play in the yard?
Nearly a decade ago, MABTR and other BT rescues helped gather stories from their supporters to create Volume I. BT lovers enjoyed the stories so much that we had to create a Volume II! Both volumes contain timeless tales of rescue and adoption and have some great insight into Boston Terrier illnesses and issues as well.
If you haven't yet read these books, you must! Get them this month with free shipping
.
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Ask Jennifer
Q: Should I be concerned about my dog's eye as it is not fully developed?
A: Congenital abnormalities of the eyeball or its surrounding tissue are generally evident shortly after a puppy's birth, but may develop within the first six to eights weeks of life. It is basically improper development of the eyes which are genetically inherited.
Since most congenital ocular anomalies are hereditary, the parents of the puppy should not be bred.
They are the result of...
- Genetics
- Spontaneous malformations
- Uterine conditions (e.g., infections and inflammations during pregnancy)
- Toxicity during pregnancy
- Nutritional deficiencies during pregnancy
There is no medical treatment for this. In most cases the dog has limited vision and some are left blind. It is recommended that you have frequent checkups with a veterinarian to monitor tear production and the status of the external eye structures.
There are a few cases where the structure of the eye is prone to infection or has dry eye that it is recommended to have what exit of the eye be removed.
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Mention this ad for a price break on adoption fees
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Thank You for Your Donation!
$50
in memory of Buddy Vossman
$50 in memory of Susie
$40 in memory of Murphy Lee
$25 in memory of Ralphie
$322 Thrivent Choice
$200 Katherine L
$170 Green Spot
$120 Raymond N
$90 Petfinder.com
$83.57 Hearts of Midland
$50
Audrey C, Caroline W, Linda J
$40 AT&T
$30
Lori L, Leslie M, Kelly B, Cynthia K
$25 Charity C, Stephanie G
$20 Susie M, Karen B, Matthew S, Pam M, Donna Z, Sara S, Michael M, Ashley H
$10
Nanette S, Dainty Itty Bitties, Katherine F, Target, Ann A, Angela C, Robin B, Angela P, Mart D, Lisa B, Cindy F, Loni D, Danielle K
$5 Angie V
All donations are tax deductible!
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Why you aren't seeing our Facebook Posts
Have you noticed that you aren't seeing our Facebook posts very often? Well it's not just you! Due to changes in the way Facebook works, less and less of our posts are showing up on your timelines. If fact, less than 5% of you see our posts daily! And sadly, this means you are missing a lot of our amazing rescue stories and videos!
The good news is Facebook has created a way around this using new settings.
Read the instructions below, go to our Facebook page and update your settings on your desktop or mobile device so you won't miss a thing!
- Visit our FB page - https://www.facebook.com/MABTR/
- Make sure you have clicked the "LIKE" button on our page.
- Click the "Follow" button.
- Under the "Following" drop down menu, select "See First" in your news feed.
- Under the "Following" drop down menu, select "On" for notifications.
And last but not least, be sure to routinely "Like", "Share" and "Comment" on our page. If Facebook doesn't see that you are interacting with our posts, they will remove us from your Facebook Feed.
Plus, by sharing our posts, you are helping our mission in educating and rehoming bostons.
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No anesthesia
Dental Cleaning
Boulder, CO
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Well Animal Institute offers dental cleanings that are anesthesia-free.
So many dogs are in need of dentals; however, health concerns may deter them from getting what is needed.
Here is your solution for only $185!
For every dog that comes in and gets their teeth cleaned,
$30 goes towards a rescue.
Win-win for
MABTR and the dogs!
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All
donations
(monetary or items)
are
tax-deductible.
MABTR is
100% volunteer-driven. Your
entire donation amount goes towards rescuing, rehabilitating, and re-homing Bostons in need in foster care.
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Employer Match Programs
Did you know that many employers will match your donation to a 501(c)3 organization? Some even pay a flat fee to the organization for volunteer hours!
Check with your human resource department for details!
A few companies we know of are:
- Pinnacol Assurance
- AT&T
- Wells Fargo
- MidAmerica Energy Holding Comp.
- Pfizer
- Allstate
- CenturyLink
- CNA Surety
- CSG
- 8z Real Estate
- Great Western
- Thrivent Financial
- Western Union
- SalesForce
- Microsoft
- United Way
- First National Bank
- Lockhead Martin Corporation
- Benevity: Apple, Google, ADP
- Johnson and Johnson
- United Healthcare
- Walmart
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- Nebraska Bark Aid: $2,605
- cookbook sales: 193 cookbooks
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Have room for a four legged passenger?
Many of us travel for business or pleasure by car. We are looking for
you to help us transport a dog from one state to the next to get him/her into foster care or towards a
forever home.
Share your travel plans
even those scheduled for a future date.
It is Simple!
Click here to share details OR
email
[email protected]
your starting and ending location, date of travel, and your name and phone number. We'll file the travel schedule and if the need approaches, we will contact you with details.
The doggies thank you!!!
Remember that you can write off at tax time your gas or mileage when transporting our Bostons.
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Adoption Corner...
~~Happy Tails~~
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20
dogs rescued
in April!
60 dogs rescued in 2018!
3,408 dogs rescued since November 2005!
We ask that you help us educate the public about their options when looking for a new pet. We appreciate the fact that you are not purchasing your pet from a pet store that sells lives animals, since 98% of all puppies in a pet store come from terrible situations such as puppy mills. For more information on puppy mills visit our site and read all you need to know about puppy mills.
If you are interested in a breed other than a Boston check out the links below.
-Petfinder
-Rescue list by breed
-Google search under
"breed" rescue"
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AGE is
just a number
I wish applicants would make personality and behavior priority when adopting a dog but the truth is that a majority are not even interested in learning about a dog if it is out of their age range.
Remember that just because a dog is young does not guarantee he/she will live to be 14. MABTR cannot promise anyone how long a dog will live. We unfortunately have experienced the loss of a life at a very young age unexpectedly.
MABTR is not prejudiced when it comes to rescuing. A life is precious no matter
*gender *age
*disability *health
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April Theme
~ Best Play Pose ~
And the winner is...
Ava and Thor!
owned by Jason P.
The theme for May is...
Best outfit or hat!!
Show your pup dressed in his/her best!
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Other online shopping networks that give back to MABTR with each of your purchases are:
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Saving Labels to
Save Lives
MABTR is participating in the
Best Choice Save-A-Label Program! Not only will you help earn funds for our group, but you will also save money on your weekly grocery bill with Best Choice products!
Purchase Best Choice products at your favorite store and save the UPC (proof of purchase). MABTR will earn $30 in cash for each bundle of 1,000 UPCs sent in.
Please send saved labels to the following address:
MABTR Save-A-Label
C/O Kristin Hashbarger 530 North Woodland Road
Olathe, KS 66061
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Make a donation
in Memory of..
or
in Honor of...
of someone special
(human or pet)
MABTR has a program that will mail your special someone a card recognizing the individual pet or human
that your donation was made in behalf of.
Make your donation here
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Boston FB Groups to 'Like' by city
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Did you know that there might be a Boston Terrier fan page on FB in your area? You should consider joining in!
Click below for the link in your area!
Minnesota
St Louis
Iowa
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Saying Goodbye
"Keep their memories close to your heart and remember in another time, in a beautiful place, you will see them again."
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Golden Paws for Golden Years
Did you know
that MABTR has such a program where an adoptor 60 or older adopting a Boston 7 years and older receives $50 off the adoption fee?
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Local MABTR Events
Colorado
Sat, May 12
11am - 3pm
Mother's Day Make & Take Gifts
Destiny's Paws Natural Pet Market, 5950 S Platte Canyon Rd
Littleton
Stop in to make Mom or yourself a gift!
Sat, May 19
10am - 5pm
Thorntonfest
Carpenter Park Fields, 108th Ave and Colorado Blvd
Thornton
Offering interactive, cultural and fun activities that engage young and old alike.
Tues, May 22
Doors at 6:15pm, auction starts at 7.
Five Dog Night Quarter Auction
Turn of the Century Bingo Hall, 1921 S Havana
Aurora
Join us for couple of hours of fast-paced auctioning to raise money for FIVE Local Dog Rescues including MABTR. $1000 worth of items up for auction.
Click here to RSVP (required).
Missouri
Coming soon!
~KC Area~
Sat, May 5
Noon - 3 pm
Adoption and Education Event
Bentley's Pet Stuff
, 6312 N Chatham
Sun, May 20
2 - 6pm
Pints and Paws Pub Crawl
1/2 price pints at six bars and breweries in Benson.
Click here to purchase tickets and for details!
Wed, May 23
Omaha GIVES
An opportunity to donate to non-profits headquarters out of Nebraska. Consider MidAmerica Boston Terrier Rescue.
Wyoming
Coming soon!
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