Meet Essie!

Essie

I first heard about Essie, a sweet and affectionate, one and a half year old brindle pit bull, when Patricia Kesler called Pit Crew Pit Bull Rescue (PCPBR) in January of 2012. Patricia said that approximately a month ago, she had found Essie, dirty and malnourished, in her hometown of Lexington, NC.  Essie did not get along with her son’s female pit bull, Nala, and Patricia was feeling overwhelmed. 

Cat meets Essie

Patricia’s anxiety had grown after she had taken Essie to Davidson Animal Hospital for vaccinations and a checkup, where she learned that Essie was heartworm positive.  She was told the treatments Essie needed would be expensive, and she did not know where to turn, so she contacted us.  Initially I was unsure about taking the case because the dog was heartworm positive, and I knew that Immiticide, the most effective canine heartworm treatment, was in short supply in at the time. As she continued to explain Essie’s situation, I was having doubts that with our limited resources, we could successfully provide her with the necessary treatment. Finding a home for Essie in this condition would be difficult, but as Patricia continued to explain the ordeal she and Essie had been through, I could hear the genuine care and concern in her voice.  Despite the news of Essie’s heartworm positive status, Patricia had already provided her with all the necessary vaccinations and parasite preventatives to keep Essie healthy, which convinced me that I should do what I could to help.

Essie explores Lake Johnson

While Patricia had already contributed her resources and time to helping Essie, the expense of the heartworm treatment would certainly leave PCPBR’s resources depleted.  To ensure our resources would be well placed, we decided to meet Patricia in person to sign the necessary foster paperwork and also to guarantee that she was willing to keep Essie throughout the duration of her treatment.   

Patricia, Cat, Essie, and I

On February 12, 2012, Cat and I met Patricia and Essie at Lake Johnson. She was a warm and caring woman and we instantly trusted her and knew that Essie would be in good hands. Over the next month and a half, Essie received heartworm treatment every two weeks, which was composed of a three-phase treatment. Phase one consisted of a two-day period, during which all Immiticide was given. Patricia was also sent home with an antibiotic, pain medication, and an anti-inflammatory. In phase two, she was given an injection of Ivermectin. In the third and final phase, her blood was checked for microfilariae. On the final visit, we were happy to hear that there were no microfilariae present in her blood and that her prognosis was good. Because she will still test positive for heartworms for at least six months, she will be rechecked at the beginning of next year to confirm her heartworm negative status.

Signing paperwork

            

With her heartworm treatment complete, it was time for Essie to be spayed. Her surgery was done at Planned Pethood, a spay and neuter clinic in Greensboro, NC. Over the next month, Patricia and I continued to stay in contact. Periodically, I would ask if she had plans to adopt Essie or if I should begin looking for a permanent home. I could tell Patricia was fond of her, but had concerns about the interactions between Essie and Nala. In late April, Patricia called to inform me that she wanted to adopt Essie. I was excited that Essie had found such a wonderful forever home and promptly sent out the adoption paper work. A week later, Essie’s adoption was made official when I called Patricia to tell her I had received and approved her application for Essie’s adoption. 

A happy and healthy Essie!