How does your donation help?

Tommy was rescued in 2022 during the floods in Sardinia, where dogs lived in terrible conditions - they spent their days shivering and hoping to find a dry place to rest. Since there were many stray animals in Sardinia, an animal lover who witnessed the situation decided to help and rescued the dogs, bringing them to Estonia. With the help of the Estonian Animal Protection Society, five dogs found new homes. One of these dogs was Tommy, who has been diagnosed with heartworm disease. This is a very serious diagnosis, but hopefully with appropriate treatment it will still be possible to help Tommy. Canine heartworm disease (cardiopulmonary dirofilariasis) is a parasitic disease caused by the filarial nematode Dirofilaria immitis, which is transmitted through infected mosquitoes. Previously, heartworm disease was considered to occur only in dogs that had visited warm countries, but it has now been discovered that this parasite is also present in Estonia. Tommy underwent a heart ultrasound (echocardiography), chest X-rays, and a blood test (Idexx snap 4Dx, blood smear). The blood test showed a positive result, and larval forms of the parasite were visible in the blood (this means he has at least one adult male and one adult female parasite). On the positive side, Tommy currently shows no clinical signs caused by heartworm disease. Additionally, further tests (chest X-rays and heart ultrasound) showed that the changes in the heart, lungs, and blood vessels caused by the parasites are currently minimal. This is generally a good prognostic indicator. For the treatment of adult parasites, a special drug - melarsomine - is administered, which needs to be given three times. Before starting treatment against adult parasites, it is necessary to begin treatment against the larval forms of the parasite. In addition to the treatment against larvae, Tommy must receive the antibiotic doxycycline for at least 30 days to reduce the risk of complications. However, Tommy's treatment is very expensive, with an estimated cost of 2000-3000 euros, for which we urgently need the help of kind people. The initial treatment for Tommy has already begun, with a second visit to follow in a month, and the third visit will take place in June. Help us help Tommy and his family!