The Pet Project Midwest Blog

What you should know about heartworm

admin — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 16:10:40 +0000

What causes the death of a dog due to heartworm disease? Heartworm disease may cause a combination of medical problems within the same dog including issues with the lungs, heart, liver and kidneys. The worms are enter the right side of the heart where they cause inflammation and interfere with blood flow. This primarily causes clots in the lungs and congestive heart failure. It can also lead to liver or kidney failure. Death can be caused by one or a combination of these problems.

My cat never goes outside. Should I put her on heartworm prevention? Although it’s less common in cats, if heartworms are found in dogs in your area and mosquitoes get into your house, you should consider putting your cat on a heartworm preventive.

Are heartworms more common in certain areas of the United States? Heartworms have been found in dogs native to all 50 states.

Is there an effective natural prevention for heartworm? No, there is no natural prevention for heartworms.

My dog tested positive for heartworms. What does this mean? That means your dog actually has heartworms in the right chambers of its heart or pulmonary arteries. If left untreated, they could begin to cause heartworm disease if the process has not already started. Most dogs can be successfully treated if heartworm is detected prior to causing severe disease.

What is the treatment for heartworm disease? Adult heartworms are killed using a drug called an adulticide that is injected into the muscle. A series of injections is given. When the dog is sent home, exercise should be limited to leash walking for the duration of the treatment period, which can last from one to two months. This will decrease the risk of blocked blood flow through the lungs by dead worms.

Why do dogs need to be blood tested before starting heartworm medication? Giving heartworm preventives to dogs with heartworms can lead to severe reactions that could be harmful or even fatal to the dog.

Is there a vaccine for heartworm disease? There is not a commercially available vaccine for the prevention of heartworm disease in dogs or cats.

My vet said my dog has heartworm disease and is in the 4th stage. What is a stage? Stage or class is used to describe the severity of the disease and determine the best way to treat the dog with the disease. The stages or classes run one through four. Unfortunately, the 4th stage or class four disease is the most severe and the most difficult to treat.

Is heartworm contagious from dog to dog? Heartworm can be transmitted from animal to animal only by the bite of a mosquito carrying the infective stage of the larvae. However, if there is an infected dog, mosquitoes can bite the infected dog and transmit the infection to the noninfected dogs or other susceptible animals in the same area.

How often should I have my dog tested? Annual testing for heartworm infection is now highly recommended.

Lost pets are now easier to find in Des Moines metro

admin — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 09:58:23 +0000

The Animal Rescue League of Iowa (ARL) in Des Moines receives an average of 30-50 animals each day and while some are surrendered by their owners, many are strays whose owner isn’t immediately known. Now, thanks to a partnership with The Pet Project Midwest (TPPM), it is easier than ever for people to find their missing pets.

The ARL houses stray pets for the city of Des Moines, rural Polk County, and a few other municipalities within the county. Thanks to a new arrangement, the ARL has been using The Pet Project Midwest’s Iowa Pet Alert system to spread the word about animals taken in. If a stray arrives during open hours, they are added to IowaPetAlert.com the same day. If they arrive after open hours, they are added to the site by noon the following day. They will appear on

IowaPetAlert.com during the city- or county-required “stray hold time” or until they are reclaimed. If they are not reclaimed, they will then enter the ARL’s adoption program.

“Prior to this partnership, people who had lost their pets would need to come to each of their area shelters each day to look for them, which is not ideal,” said Tom Colvin, executive director for the Animal Rescue League, “It has been our goal for a long time to streamline this process to make it more convenient and accessible for people who have lost their pets and by partnering with the Pet Project’s Iowa Pet Alert site, it allows both non-profit organizations to maximize their expertise while helping reunite more animals. As the largest animal shelter in the state, this is a model we hope to help replicate with other shelters across Iowa.”

“Our Iowa Pet Alert program has been successful thus far in reuniting owners with animals but we know it holds even more potential in central Iowa now that the ARL will be reporting all strays brought to them,” explained Justin Rogers, Iowa Pet Alert program director with TPPM. “IowaPetAlert.com is Iowa’s only free, statewide database of missing and found animals. When we have an animal entered in the database, we automatically broadcast the alert to Facebook, Twitter and send email and text alerts to folks who have opted in for geographically-appropriate alerts.”

To search for a lost pet or post information about an animal they found, Iowans can visit IowaPetAlert.com and search the database. Iowans can also visit IowaPetAlert.com and sign up for alerts in their area.

“The faster we broadcast the word and the more people that see it, the less chance there is for a permanent separation between animal and owner,” Rogers added.

Colvin also reminds the public to always check with each of their area shelters as well, and, of course, to have all pets microchipped. The public can do this every Tuesday at the ARL Animal Care & Control office for $35 per pet or $10 per pet for people on financial assistance.

The Pet Project Midwest (TPPM) is making the world a better place through kindness to animals. The group is

a non-profit run by volunteers since its inception in 2009. All TPPM initiatives and programs are designed to

keep animals in loving homes. For more info, visit www.thepetprojectmidwest.org.

The Animal Rescue League of Iowa is a nonprofit organization founded in 1926. The ARL is the state’s largest

animal shelter, serving over 18,000 animals each year from all corners of the state. The ARL is the greater Des

Moines area’s only shelter that never turns away an animal in need. www.ARL-Iowa.org

Test your trivia, have a blast while helping families keep their pets

admin — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 19:59:45 +0000

Buy tickets now for fun, cash prizes on May 10!

Around Des Moines, music, movies and sports are just a few of the fun categories at the Dog-Eat-Dog Trivia Night on May 10. Teams of eight will compete through nine rounds of trivia questions ranging from pop culture to album covers.

Dog-Eat-Dog Trivia Night, a fundraiser for The Pet Project Midwest, will kick off with a social hour at 6 p.m. at People’s on Court and the game will begin at 7. It costs $30 to play and you can buy your tickets at www.ThePetProjectMidwest.org or at the door. Tickets purchased before April 25 are only $25.

“Tickets can be purchased in ones, twos, fives, etc.,” said Sara Henderson, board president of The Pet Project Midwest. “You do not need to put a whole team of 8 together to sign up! Just grab a buddy or two, or plan a solo night out & buy your ticket soon!”

WHO TV Reporter Jannay Towne and Karess Carter from STAR 102.5 will be the celebrity emcees. The top three teams will take home cash prizes and bragging rights. Ticket cost includes dinner from Bandit Burrito. An auction will follow the game.

“People ask me all year when the next Dog-Eat-Dog night is. This is really becoming a popular Des Moines event. We have people who start buying tickets the minute they go on sale but we also add new faces every time,” explained Courtney Tompkins, board vice president of The Pet Project Midwest (TPPM). “People brainstorm very creative team names, show up in costumes and come ready to be a little rowdy and competitive. It’s a very fun night.”

Money raised through Dog-Eat-Dog will help feed animals around the Des Moines area metro through TPPM’s Pet Pantry. The Pet Pantry has provided food and supplies for more than a thousand pets to stay with their families since it began.

Visit www.ThePetProjectMidwest.org for more information about TPPM and the Pet Pantry, event details, registration or sponsorship opportunities or call 515-727-4738or email Info@ThePetProjectMidwest.org.

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The Pet Project Midwest (TPPM) is making the world a better place through kindness to animals. The group is a non-profit run by volunteers. All TPPM initiatives and programs are designed to keep animals in loving homes. For more info, visit www.thepetprojectmidwest.org.

Original pet bowls created by Iowa artists to be auctioned

admin — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 05:12:06 +0000

Local artists are working on pet food, water or treat bowls created out of fabric or glass or ceramics. The bowls are being created for and donated to The Pet Project Midwest (TPPM). They will be auctioned off in December for “Bowls of Love.”

“We have so many talented folks in the central Iowa area and we appreciate, very much, them donating their skills for us,” said Sara Henderson, TPPM board of directors president.

The Bowls of Love auction will take place online at www.ThePetProjectMidwest.org. More details and preview photos will be posted in November.

All proceeds from the auction will go toward The Pet Project Midwest’s mission of keeping pets with their families and out of shelters. The charity currently runs The Pet Pantry and IowaPetAlert.com.

Please email Sara@ThePetProjectMidwest.org with any questions about this event or to submit a bowl.

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Banfield Charitable Trust bestows $7000 on The Pet Project Midwest

admin — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:29:04 +0000

The volunteer members of The Pet Project Midwest’s board of directors were ecstatic to learn they’d been chosen to receive $7000 from the Banfield Charitable Trust.

“We rely entirely on donations and grants so this kind of acknowledgement and grant awarding really helps,” explains Sara Henderson, Pet Project Midwest board president.

The Pet Project Midwest (TPPM) runs the following programs:

The Pet Pantry, which provides food and supplies for up to four months for families in need.
Paws for Life, a branch of the pantry that provides continuous support to the elderly, disabled and folks in need of a service animal.
IowaPetAlert.com, a free, state-wide alert service to help reunite lost and found animals with their owners.

The grant from Banfield will go toward supporting The Pet Pantry and Paws for Life operations.

“We buy as much in bulk as we can to get the best prices but pet food and kitty litter costs so much, especially in the quantities we buy,” said Rachael Woods, Pet Pantry chairperson. “This money will definitely help us.”

Henderson pointed out what a good fit The Banfield Charitable Trust (BCT) is with TPPM’s goal of preventing pet-human separation. The BCT mission is to “provide grants to pet-related organizations for programs that address the root causes of the surrender of pets, promote the bond between pets and their owners, and work to keep pets in their loving homes. While we applaud the important efforts of all pet-related organizations, we are committed to supporting programs that prevent the crisis of surrender and work to keep pets with their families.”

Visit www.ThePetProjectMidwest.org, call 515-727-4738 or email Info@ThePetProjectMidwest.org for more information about TPPM.

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Halloween hounds?

Courtney — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 06:57:56 +0000

It’s October and that means costumes and pumpkins and candy corn, oh my! Are you dressing up your pet? You should – it’s lots of fun! As a matter of fact, you should dress up WITH your dog and bring them to walk with us in the Spooky Paws Parade on Oct. 30! If you need a little face painting to finish off your costume, stop by our booth before the parade and we’ll transform you!

In the spirit of Halloween, I have to share this photo that makes me giggle:

The Pet Project Midwest gets tech update via Dymin Systems

Courtney — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 12:54:41 +0000

Marketing Director Courtney Tompkins (far left) and Tank Tompkins (bottom center) accepted the new technology from the Dymin team on Oct. 17.

The Pet Project Midwest (TPPM) is getting a technological boost from Urbandale computer support company, Dymin Systems, Inc.

“We were in dire need of a new laptop to run our systems on, and we’d been in need of a barcode scanner since we started. Who did we think of when we needed tech help? Dymin,” said Justin Rogers, Urbandale resident and TPPM webmaster.

The refurbished Windows-based laptop and USB scanner will be used to better track the inventory for TPPM’s Pet Pantry.

“We were happy to assist The Pet Project Midwest! Dymin Systems wants to give back to our community in ways we believe that can really help make a difference,” Scott Breitman, Dymin Systems, Inc. president.

Visit www.ThePetProjectMidwest.org, call 515-727-4738 or email Info@ThePetProjectMidwest.org for more information about TPPM.

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The cure-all Ben Stein recommends? Get a dog!

Courtney — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 07:05:11 +0000

This video is cute. We agree – dogs rock!

5 things to learn from your pet

Courtney — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 19:03:35 +0000

I love this Real Simple article, 5 things you can learn from your pet! It’s so true! I definitely need a daily reminder of “slow down to smell the roses & celebrate life” from my furkids!

We also think there’s a lot you can learn about a person by how they treat their pet. So many of those The Pet Project Midwest helps give up all they have to keep their family together, whether the family members have skin, fur or feathers! That’s the kind of person I want as my friend!

What non-pet-people don’t understand…

Courtney — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 06:40:46 +0000

This is a great post about the things pet lovers have to explain to friends who aren’t so pet-adoring.

For us, the “Pets take priority in the household budget.” statement is key. We have constantly had people ask us why we think it’s important to run our Pet Pantry and it’s for that very reason. We know that not only does our pantry keep pets in the home but it helps alleviate fears, sadness and poor health habits of their owners.

Many times our clients have told us that they were giving what little food they had to their pet, essentially starving themselves so their animals could eat. This is what pet-lovers do. We also know that some of the people we help would never ask for assistance for themselves, even though they need it and there’s great groups out there to help them, but they will ask for help for their furry or feathered friends. And when we help them, it’s less burden on their family. It’s peace of mind and it’s that boost to get back on their feet, family in tact. And that may just be something non-pet-people will never understand.