Heartworm Treatment for Soco

Southern Comfort (Soco) is a 3-year-old yellow Labrador Retriever mix who was found on the side of the road Labor Day weekend with 10 puppies. She and her puppies were brought to the Lee County Humane Society (LCHS) in Auburn, AL by a Good Samaritan.

Soco's puppies were in good health and ready to be weaned. They are all available for adoption through LCHS and currently in foster homes. 

Soco, however, has quite the recovery to make. She is severely malnourished, weak, and tired. Her body is still recovering from having and caring for her puppies all on her own. 

Additionally, a heartworm test revealed that Soco is positive for canine heartworm disease. Heartworms are parasites that are transmitted to dogs from mosquitos.  These worms live in dog's heart, lungs, and blood vessels, creating inflammation and damage to the organs in which they inhabit. This disease is serious and fatal if left untreated. 

Heartworm disease can be prevented with a cheap monthly medication that is recommended by veterinarians in climates in which heartworm disease is common. Soco was not lucky enough to have been given this preventative and she now is in desperate need of treatment.

Heartworm treatment is expensive and can be risky. It requires multiple steps in order to assure that the heartworms are completely eradicated, but in a manner that will not cause additional damage to Soco's internal organs. 

For a 55 lb dog, the total cost of treatment will be roughly $1,000. Soco needs treatment ASAP, but will only receive this once funds become available at the shelter. LCHS has over 200 animals currently under their care, which makes it difficult to allot $1,000 to only one animal.

I have started this campaign in order to raise the funds for Soco's heartworm treatment. I am currently fostering this sweet mamma and can assure you that she deserves this care. Any additional money funded will go to into LCHS's heartworm fund. Alabama is notorious for canine heartworms and LCHS receives hundreds of heartworm positive dogs each year. 

Please consider donating to Soco's cause, and educate yourselves and others about the dangers of canine heartworms. There are various products out there that will protect your dogs from this devastating disease, and prevention is far cheaper than treatment. 

Thank you for reading and please share with any and all dog lovers out there. My goal is to cover not only Soco's treatment but contribute to the treatment of the many other deserving dogs in Lee County Humane Society's care.