Do you know what happens to dogs when they are left untreated for heartworms?- Caval syndrome. This disease is a serious complication of chronic heartworms in dogs and cats. Once an animal has this, the adult heartworms living in the arteries of the lungs begin migrating into the chambers of the heart, causing massive disruption of the heart’s regular beating and blood flow. This disruption causes heart failure. Caval syndrome is almost always a death sentence in a dog.
Just don’t you tell those long odds to our Acey Boy! He is a very lucky, very friendly 6 year old male neutered cattle dog mix. Acey Boy came to APA! from Town Lake’s euthanasia list. We tested him for heartworms and discovered he was positive, but when he became very weak and lethargic Dr. Jefferson had an ultrasound performed on his heart. It turned out he was suffering from caval syndrome and given a 10% chance of survival. APA! took this chance and treated him, and against these odds, Acey Boy’s heart won out. He is now healthy and so ready to be introduced to a loving family.
With his energy and health fully restored, Acey Boy is a very active 25 lb dog; he loves playing ball the best! He would be the perfect “man about town” dog for any blog reader- he enjoys riding in the car, going on walks, and basically doing anything you want to do. He has maintained his upbeat attitude throughout the entire ordeal, and continues to do so after weeks of being overlooked at our adoption sites. He is really a special dog, and we are looking for a special owner to eclipse the past hardships in his life with new affection and devotion. To see where Acey Boy will be each day, visit here!
