www.atlantabeaglerescue.org

We have a dog, Jack, who is being treated for heartworm before he can be adopted. It can be a very painful process, and occasionally a deadly one, for dogs. It would have been so much better if he hadn't gotten it in the first place. It costs about $6 a month to protect a 51-100 pound dog from heartworm.

It costs around $1,000 or more to treat a large dog for heartworm disease. Imagine! That's about the same cost as giving Heartguard once a month for the life of the dog! And that's a large dog; beagles cost less because they weigh less.

The American Heartworm Society now recommends that heartworm prevention be given all year round regardless of where you live. Mosquitos can be out and about in a 2 day thaw in January in Vermont, and it only takes one mosquito one bite to infect a dog. If you are unfamiliar with heartworm disease (and cats can get it too!), visit the AHS website and get educated. There are some great videos that show the life cycle of a heartworm.

Dogs that tested positive for heartworm were once routinely euthanized. Many rescue groups still find it a prohibative treatment. Our veterinary discounts and the small size of the beagle make it easy for us to decide to treat a dog if we get one once in a while, but it's not just the cost that is prohibative. It can be very painful and dogs can die during treatment.