Your donation will help us treat a dog suffering from heartworm disease. Each year, Charleston Animal Society saves more than 500 dogs who have been infected with heartworm because of a mosquito. This dangerous parasite is common across the South and wherever mosquitos are present.
The Match
KIA Country of Charleston is pitching in to save these loving animals and will match every gift dollar-for-dollar up to $10,000. That means your gift DOUBLES!
Treatment
Once a dog is infected, he or she must undergo an expensive heartworm treatment ($271 at Charleston Animal Society). There is only one drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration to kill adult heartworms in dogs, a powerful, arsenic-based medicine that is injected into the dog’s back muscles.
The treatment can take up to 6 months, and during this time, dogs are not allowed to exercise, as increasing their heart rate can be dangerous. Once treatment is completed, dogs can then live a healthy, normal life!
Prevention
Every dog should be on a heartworm prevention drug. Typically taken once a month, the prevention drug will keep your animal from being infected from the bite of a mosquito. If your dog is not yet on a prevention medicine, ask your vet about starting heartworm treatment. Cats can get heartworm and also need to be on heartworm treatment.