Bonnie came to us very emaciated and high heart worm positive. She was diagnosed with Caval Syndrome back in December. Caval syndrome (CS) is a life-threatening illness caused by a mass of heartworms located aberrantly in the right atrium, the ventricle, and often the vena cava. The worm mass interferes with closure of the tricuspid valve and impedes normal flow of blood through the right heart, leading to cardiovascular collapse. Her foster mom rushed her into the vet and we decided to try a new method of reversing CS. Standard practice was to surgically remove the mass of worms, which still only had a 60% survival rate. Instead, Bonnie was put on a series of cardiovascular medication with strict kennel rest to keep her heart rate down. And it has worked. She still gets short of breath, and has an occasional cough, but she is surviving and happy. The vet has determined that she is finally ready to go through fast kill treatment.

The medications Bonnie is taking are costing the rescue $300 a month. Her heart worm treatment is going to cost $700. Once it has been completed, the vet will evaluate whether she will need to continue the heart medications.