Recently, they have become very aggressive towards each other. So bad they can't even stand the sight of one another. We recently took them to the vet. She took some blood to do some tests and suggested to have one neutered. We kept P.J. the two-year-old at the vet and she fixed him. The vet also reported to us the following day that Bro, the three-year-old, had heartworms. We brought P.J. home and tried putting the two together again.
But it seems Bro is having hard feelings. It has been a week now and they have been kept apart, making things here at home difficult and frustrating. I am not sure whether the aggression problem is due to Bro's heartworms or whether P.J. needs some time after his fix. They both seem to be saddened by this situation.
I am also very concerned about Bro receiving heartworm treatment. We lost a dog to the treatment several years ago. Is there something that can be controlled by diet? How long does a dog live with heartworms? I truly want things to be back to normal, and to be able to make both dogs happy again. - Adrian
I hate to offer no good news, but as far as I know there is no way to get rid of heartworm except through treatment. Once there is a worm (or worms) in the heart vessels they cause a slow breakdown of the vessel walls that will kill the dog. The treatment means the worm is killed, but that leaves the problem of the carcase inside the dog's heart blood vessels. In some cases it can be extracted or successfully washes away, but in other cases it may start an infection where the worm or a retained part of it is rotting away, or it can become 'rolled up' and cause a blockage of the vessel. The first 24 hours are the vital ones. Thankfully not every treatment results in complications.
In areas where there is heartworm (mosquitoes carry the larvae and pass them on when they bite a dog) the only safe way to go is to put your dogs on the monthly tablet that will keep them free of the pest. In Australia it is called Heartgard and you buy the pack that has the right size pill for your dog's weight - I don't know if the same brand is used worldwide but your vet would know what to get. There are six tablets in a pack, so one packet will last for six months. Pick a date that is easy to remember, like the first day of each month. Do have your neutered dog tested and start him on the tablets as soon as possible.
Remember that you MUST have your dogs tested and cleared of any heartworm infection BEFORE you start giving your dog the medication, or any worm present will migrate to the lungs and kill the dog. Heartworm is a nasty creature and hard to get rid of - Heartgard is an easy and inexpensive way to ensure that your dog never has to endure the ravages of heartworm. Once your infected dog is well again, you must start him on the tablets as soon as possible as they can get heartworm any number of times.
You may find that once your dogs are back to full health the aggression problem is automatically solved, but do get back to us if the aggression remains. - Ed
Dachshunds and agility
Hello,
Are you able to steer me in the right direction for information about dachshunds doing agility? I have had a real battle to have my standard breed dachshund accepted for agility class. My vet has no idea if it can be done; the breeder can see no reason why not; and I know there are lots of dogs in the USA doing agility but as yet, the emails I have sent out have borne no fruit. Flynn is only at the starter stage so jumps are not in the picture yet but I hope they will be at the next class. Can you help? - Mazz
I have to say I have no idea why the agility clubs are slow to accept dachshunds as members, but perhaps some of our readers may offer some information. Personally I can see no reason why not. However, one must remember that the dachshund is a purpose-bred dog and you may need to temper agility with logic ... they do tend to get back problems in later life so I would really think it through and find out as much as possible before I attempted to have Flynn jumping. I also would not put the heavier dogs over jumps - not for their backs but rather for their hips and elbows. I think you need to talk it over with a vet and make sure jumping will not cause damage to his back.
These little dogs are excellent on the ground and there is certainly no reason why he should not do the zig-zags (this would probably be his specialty), tunnel work and ramps etc. The main thing is that he enjoys his days out and has a lot of fun and keeps fit and healthy. He would probably love to do some tracking too! - Ed
