Pansy

Pansy was pulled from a shelter in Southern IL. She was brought up to a Foster Home. Once in Foster Care, she was given her first shots and was wormed. Unfortunately, the vet had given her Ivermectin Injectable for her wormer. She was wormed on Friday and passed away Tuesday morning. Ivermectin is used in HeartGard and other oral wormers. There is an injectable version of it as well that works a little different in the body. Some breeds, such as Collies, Shelties, Border Collies, Old English Sheepdogs, and Aussies, are allergic to it.

It's a genetic trait in these breeds and there is no feasible way to tell if they have it. If they do have the allergy, the Ivermectin Injectable will paralyze the brain and the body will shut down. Once in the body, there is no treatment. Oral versions such as Heartgard will have side effects such as lethargy, hypersalivation (excessive drooling), diarrhea, vomiting, and death. The oral version is a lower dose and usually well tolerated without these side effects. If you have one of these breeds, please watch carefully as they are known to be more affected by Ivermectin.

Pansy was only 16 weeks old. She was just getting used to being in Foster Care and getting her first taste of a loving home.

In Loving Memory of Marley 4/13/09

We were blessed when Marley chose us as his foster family and came to us on July 14th, 2007. He had been walking the streets alone, deaf and almost blind. He came to us a broken shell and very under weight. In time, he over came that and blossomed into a wonderful and loving boy. He touch so many lives and brought so many people together in the short time that we had him. He gave his love freely with everyone he met. He had Idiopathic Epilepsy and we were working to find a way to help him get them under control.

Monday he went into seizures he was not able to recover from. We knew this day would ultimately come, but we were not prepared for it to come so soon. We held him and sent all our love with him as he made his journey to the Rainbow Bridge. As much as it broke our hearts, it was the greatest gift we were able to give him. We take solace in knowing that he knew he was loved and that he was happy before he made that journey. Marley was truly an amazing boy that will live on in our hearts and memories. He is now at the Bridge, in full vigor and no longer burdened by seizures or disabilities. One day we will meet again and cross the Bridge together.