Oh man, I FEEL for you! Willow was HW+ when we adopted her. Yes, it means VERY STRICT confinement. Willow had to have the split-dose treatment (2 shots, spaced a month apart), so it meant 2 months of confinement either in a crate or in a small outside run.
Willow was terrified of crates when she arrived - so the crate was out, it just made her panic and her heart rate would SOAR. That's originally why we built her the outdoor kennel, so she'd have a small space to relax in where she couldn't get up a fast run or anything. And I will tell you, I let her "overdo" it about 2 weeks into the first treatment because she was feeling so good... big mistake. Just 15 minutes of running free in a big yard caused her to have 2 days of coughing fits, and a round of Prednisone to cut the inflammation. It was a huge risk and I didn't realize it at the time.
Basically, they have to be confined because as the worms die, they can clog up the arteries leading to the lungs - and if the dog starts pumping blood faster and breathing hard from playing, there's all the more chance that they will pump a big chunk of heartworm right into their lungs. It can kill them rapidly. Just make sure you keep the dog calm and confined at all costs, even if they need a tranquilizer to do it... I know how hard it is for a husky to sit still for a month.
Don't worry, though - if I can get through it with my nutcase Willow, you can get through it with your new girl!!! I will be praying for you both and pulling for ya. Just give your dog lots of mental stimulation, training, and chewtoys for her time in confinement, and she should pull through just fine.
Good luck... BTW, she is beautiful!
Willow was terrified of crates when she arrived - so the crate was out, it just made her panic and her heart rate would SOAR. That's originally why we built her the outdoor kennel, so she'd have a small space to relax in where she couldn't get up a fast run or anything. And I will tell you, I let her "overdo" it about 2 weeks into the first treatment because she was feeling so good... big mistake. Just 15 minutes of running free in a big yard caused her to have 2 days of coughing fits, and a round of Prednisone to cut the inflammation. It was a huge risk and I didn't realize it at the time.
Basically, they have to be confined because as the worms die, they can clog up the arteries leading to the lungs - and if the dog starts pumping blood faster and breathing hard from playing, there's all the more chance that they will pump a big chunk of heartworm right into their lungs. It can kill them rapidly. Just make sure you keep the dog calm and confined at all costs, even if they need a tranquilizer to do it... I know how hard it is for a husky to sit still for a month.
Don't worry, though - if I can get through it with my nutcase Willow, you can get through it with your new girl!!! I will be praying for you both and pulling for ya. Just give your dog lots of mental stimulation, training, and chewtoys for her time in confinement, and she should pull through just fine.
Good luck... BTW, she is beautiful!
