Oh, have a heart!

I've heard that expression used when people seem to be "heartless" or unsympathetic. How wonderful it would be if an Atlanta veterinarian came across my blog and read that my sweet Betsy has heartworms and left a comment saying, "I'll treat Betsy's heart for the cost of $0.00, nothing, nada, zilch. Out of the kindness of my own heart." Oh, we can dream...

Yes, first Maggie's bite, now Betsy's heart. What are the chances? Oh, the vet bills just keep on rolling in! I've never owned a dog with heartworms before. I knew something was up when I was at the vet's office for Maggie's last bandage change (only one more week to go with the e-collar!) and Betsy's first Wellness Exam. What should have been a 10 minute wait for heartworm results turned into 20 mins, then 30. Finally, Dr. Smith came out telling me the bad news: 1) Betsy has heartworms and 2) it will cost me approximately $650 to get rid of them. Not only that, but heartworm treatment is like chemo for humans - you basically have to kill everything and attack even the good things in their bodies to kill the worms. Then it's weeks of healing. No playing, no moving - they are crated 23.50 hours of the day. Any stress to their heart my cause heart failure after the procedure.

Although I've only had Betsy for a month - I've fallen head over heels for her. I love her and although treatment may cost me an arm and leg...it's worth giving Betsy a healthy heart.