HELP advice for a dog with heart worms!!?

I just got home visiting my family and my little brother's dog has heart worms. He is a rat terrier, about 20 lbs and he at the end stages of category 4. I called several vets and they all make you feel like garbage. He has swollen up, he is eating quarts rocks from around my parents pool. He is almost 15 years old wich is pretty old for rat terrier. He was an indoor dog for maybe 2 years but being a male he loved being outside and only wants to come inside when its raining or thundering or very cold out. I have tried finding info on line but nothing telling me about a dog his size, or his age. I could be crazy and maybe my parents are right he just getting old. My folks and I dont have much money at all. This is probaly were we sound like bad owners but times are tough and we can afford approx 100 bucks. An old friend of mine told me on the phone to give him a quarter of pill of benedryl for some dogs have allergys to heart worms. When i gave him the benedryl he fell asleep, woke up 2 hours later and wasn't weezeing and went back to chaseing birds and random things in the yard. He has so much life left in him but ive been told that a dog his size can't have the poisonious shots or the surgery for there is a very good chance he can die. Plus lets be real, he is old so age isn't on his side. Any ideas what i should do? I told my parents to let him live his final days out in the yard, where he loves to be, and if he dose collapse or anything like that we put him down to save him his misery. I dont know what to do because im caught in teh middle right now, maybe thats why im rambleing.. SO any advice?HELP advice for a dog with heart worms!!?
I am profoundly sorry that this poor guy has to go through this. However, stage 4 is very severe, and even if you think he is not suffering, he is. Drugs are not the answer, and will not make his condition better in any way.


It would be much more humane if your parents took him in to be euthanized. That way they would both be there to say goodbye. The dog won't mind-it will be a relief after his suffering.





If he is stage 4 he has had this condition for a very long time. I would urge your parents not to get another dog unless they can afford to buy heartworm preventatives.





Edit: Sorry to hear about the kidney failure. Seems to be common in dogs who live a very long time. Be careful with the drugs if this is the case, as they can accelerate the kidney failure symptoms. Older dogs often do not survive the treatment for Heartworms, so that is probably why the vet didn't try.


I think the dog will tell your parents when he is done and wants to go, and your parents will need to be observant and acknowledge this. That is the hard part. Good luck!HELP advice for a dog with heart worms!!?
if things get any rougher for the dog, you will have to put him to sleep, not fair on him to have him suffering. heartworm cannot be cured.
Thats tough especially because it could have been prevented I would take him into a vet that is the least you can do they will probably say euthanize.

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