It became apparent to me once again last week how the odds can be so unfairly stacked against shelter animals. I am grateful every day at the Richmond SPCA that we are able to deliver lifesaving medical treatment and rehabilitation to pets with conditions we diagnose prior to adoption and to pets with known conditions when they enter our care.
On December 1, I learned that there was a shortage of Immiticide, the only licensed drug in the United States to treat adult heartworms in dogs, by our Merial Animal Health distributor. A quick internet search that I conducted didn’t identify any issues or additional information. Then on Dec. 3, I received a form letter from Merial that indicated there was a technical difficulty with a manufacturing site transfer and there would be a shortage through the first quarter of 2010. According to the letter, the company is working hard to manage the situation by asking you to call it directly and only order what product you need for individual cases. When still no additional information appeared on the Internet, I made a post to a veterinary message board. It appeared as though I was one of only a handful of veterinarians aware of the situation.
The magnitude of this dilemma hit home when I called about a dog we just transferred into our care named “Fred.” Fred is a 2-year-old shepherd mix who is positive for heartworms. While the condition is serious, we treat all dogs we admit with heartworms prior to uniting them with loving new families. In Fred’s case, he fortunately shows no clinical signs yet, which makes him a wonderful candidate for successful treatment without complications. We treat dogs like Fred and get them adopted in a very timely manner.
When I called Merial to see what I needed to do in order to purchase the amount of Immiticide that Fred would need, I was asked to give his age, the test we used to determine that he was positive for heartworms, whether he had previously been on preventative medication, and the signs he was showing. After providing these details, I was told that he was not a candidate for the current supply. In other words, Fred was not a critical enough case to warrant selling the Richmond SPCA the drug for his treatment.
Now in private practice, Fred and his guardians would just wait until the supply lines opened up and be treated in the spring – when the drug is expected to be widely available again. But in a shelter environment, this poses unique challenges. How does a shelter hold onto this fella for a minimum of four months? In many shelters, the options would be 1) don’t treat Fred and hope that someone who can afford his treatment at his or her regular veterinarian when the drug is available adopts him (this will run several hundred dollars at best) or 2) place Fred in foster care outside the shelter until the drug is available and Fred can be treated and adopted post-treatment or 3) the worst-case scenario, euthanize Fred rather than utilize either of the first two options.
Fortunately, Fred is at the Richmond SPCA, and we will either find him a home prior to treatment with a family willing to assume that responsibility when the drug is available again, or we will place Fred in foster care until we can treat his condition and get him well. But what about all of the other heartworm-positive dogs at other shelters throughout the country? Sadly, they might not have the same outcome as Fred.
How can you help? Can you foster an adult dog with heartworms for a couple of months? Can you adopt a heartworm-positive dog and treat him after he joins your family? Are you sure your pets and your friends’ pets are getting their heartworm prevention year round? Are you getting your dog tested yearly to be sure he remains negative? If you get a positive diagnosis, can you please keep him rather than surrendering him to a shelter that cannot possibly treat him for heartworms?
Together we need to protect our companion animals in order to ensure none dies needlessly for the lack of this important drug.
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