Blogging Paws – Pet Health Blog & Lifestyle Information sponsored by CanaCreek.com Canadian Pet Medication

The story of a Most Faithful Friend

Hachiko was an Akita dog born in Japan in 1923. An agricultural professor named Hidesaburo Ueno brought the puppy from the countryside to be his pet in Tokyo. Every morning, Hachiko would accompany his master to the train station where the professor would commute to the University of Tokyo. Every evening, Hachiko would wait at the station to greet his master when his train arrived. Hachiko did this everyday until May 1925, when the professor did not return on his usual train one evening. Despite this, Hachiko, continued to go to the train station the everyday at the same time in anticipation of his master’s return, but everyday he would not see his beloved friend. It turned out that the professor had suffered a fatal cerebral hemorrhage while giving a lecture at the University. He would never return again.

Every evening Hachiko would show up just when the professor’s train was due to arrive. Hachiko continued his routine to look for his owner from among the crowd at the train station for nine more years, eagerly waiting for his master until Hachiko’s own death in 1935. Hachiko’s faithfulness has inspired generations of Japanese people, and he is a national symbol of loyalty.

When Hachiko died on March 8th 1935, his body was found near the train station. A post mortem was conducted and they found that dirofilaria worms had infected his heart, Hachiko had suffered and died from heartworm.

August is Canacreek’s Heartworm Awareness Month. Heartworm is one of the top preventable potentially fatal diseases in dogs and cats. The disease is caused by bites from mosquitoes infected with the heartworm parasite, Dirofilaria immitis, which is known to infect pet cats, dogs and wildlife such as foxes, wolves, ferrets and coyotes.

Know the signs:
1. Your pet seems lethargic
2. Consistent cough & difficulty breathing
3. Vomiting
4. Your pet is experiencing loss of appetite, or has stopped eating
5. Swollen abdomen

If you observe any of these signs, please see your local veterinarian as soon as possible. They can do a simple blood test to detect the presence of heartworm. Fortunately heartworm is curable if caught early.

There are also simple steps you can take to prevent your pet from catching this potentially fatal disease. Consult your neighborhood veterinarian to do a test to ensure your pet is free from heartworm before administering any heartworm prevention products. The vet will recommend a product suitable for your pets. Home heartworm prevention products come in spot-on formulas such as Revolution and Advocate, as well as pills or chewable tablets such as Valuheart, Proheart or Heartgard. Please use products as directed by the manufacturers.

To promote Heartworm Awareness Month, CanaCreek is having a Sale on our selection of Heartworm prevention products:

On SALE now:
Advantage-Multi for Dogs, Advantage-Multi for Cats,Sentinel, Revolution, Revolution for Cats, Heartgard and Valuheart.

CanaCreek is proud to support local shelters and humane societies. If you know of a shelter or a society that is deserving of our help, please contact us at info@canacreek.com.

Let’s make sure that our own Faithful Friends never have to suffer the terrible effects of heartworm.

Sincerely,
The CanaCreek Team

More trivia: Richard Gere was so inspired by Hachiko’s story that he worked on and stars in the movie ‘Hachi: A Dog’s Tale’ http://www.cesarsway.com/magazine/Hollywood-Hounds/The-Most-Faithful-Dog-You-Never-Heard-Of

*Please order the appropriate product for the size of your pet. If you are using other medications, please consult with a veterinarian for compatibility. Use only as directed on the box or by your pet health professional.