When Jackie’s foster at Border Collie Save and Rescue reached out to offer more information about Jackie, one of my top questions was a desire to know more of Jackie’s story.
Little is known, but what we do know for sure is that Jackie was picked up as a stray in rural Mississippi and transferred to a rescue called Kilgore Aussie Rescue in Denham Spring, Louisiana. From there the boots on the ground rescue network sprang to action to place Jackie into a breed rescue in Texas, Border Collie Save based in Fort Worth. Skinny, dirty, and with hygromas (thick capsule of fibrous tissue sores developed from repeated trauma to an area due to lying on cement or other hard surfaces) on both elbows, Jackie was also (of course!) heart worm positive, and still intact. The intake veterinarian estimated her age at three years old, and the rescue recorded her date of birth as March 25, 2018, so that’ll be her “happy birthday” date!
Views on spaying and neutering have changed in the veterinary medical field in recent years, and I admit my perspective on de-sexing dogs is evolving slowly. Probably a conversation for a different post (or an entire blog for that matter), I will just leave it at I understand for overpopulation-control sake Jackie was spayed very early on intake into rescue, and though I will never know the fate of her previous puppies, or how many litters she had, her little body shows the definite signs of having had puppies.
It is regrettable if Jackie’s puppies were unwanted and/or not the highest level of health expectancy, which is probable. For the sake of her long term health however, I’m glad she was a fully grown three year old adult when she was spayed on March 26, 2021. Fortunately I do have her spay record, and it was a traditional spay so unfortunately she had both her ovaries and uterus removed, rather than a partial spay where she could have kept her ovaries, thereby gaining further long term health benefits. Again, a topic for another discussion, but I’m grateful that she was an adult when she was spayed, and certainly understand the decision to spay a dog of unknown background that had already contributed (most likely) to overpopulation.
Jackie underwent a series of three adulticide heart worm treatment injections, her first on June 9, 2021 and her final injection July 5, 2021. This treatment was supported with Iverhart heart worm preventative, doxycycline antibiotic, gabapentin pain medication, and prednisone anti inflammatories. Luckily her foster mom reported Jackie had no coughing or hacking, and all indications point to a low heart worm load. At her foster family’s Jackie had to follow the familiar several months of strict confinement, and was released back to full activity with no restrictions August 5, 2021.
My readers are not the ones who need to hear this but I am nevertheless compelled to say: please prevent unwanted/unhealthy/unplanned/inappropriate litters, and please maintain life-long monthly heart worm prevention to easily deter what becomes a potentially dangerous, uncomfortable, difficult and completely preventable situation of having to undergo heart worm treatment.
Freshly spayed, newly released back into full activity after heartworm lockdown, Jackie is a new woman and ready to give up her days as a rural mom and fully ready to bloom into her next adventure!
The first intake photo of Jackie transferring to Border Collie Save as a recent stray, heart worm positive and still intact, looking and feeling uncertain:
The take away “pearls” of wisdom I’ve considered today:
- Ideas about de sexing (spaying and neutering) dogs are evolving, but ending suffering and unwanted/unhealthy puppies is paramount
- Heartworm disease in dogs is easily preventable and while curable it is costly, difficult, and potentially dangerous to treat, and can have lifelong health detriments later. All dogs should be kept on heartworm prevention
- A debt of gratitude is owed to the special folks who work to help, rehabilitate, and re-home otherwise discarded and neglected (or worse) dogs
- Thank a rescue volunteer as often as you have opportunity to do so, and consider getting involved by adopting a rescued dog, volunteering, or donating to the reputable rescue of your choice
- For more info about Jackie’s rescue click: Border Collie Save and Rescue
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