Bruno’s heartworm surgery

Our rescued dog, Bruno, got heartworms while he was in the dog shelter. He is in the 4th, final stage of the disease, meaning his heart is packed with adult worms. The worms are damaging his organs and need to be surgically removed in order to lessen the chance of a thrombosis: pieces of decomposing dead worms, killed by a medicine, blocking blood vessels. The parasites will be removed via a catheter inserted into a vein leading into the beating heart. The surgery is to be performed by the one and only specialist in Hungary. After the worms are removed, two doses of a medicine will be administered to kill any remaining parasites.

Bruno is about 4 years old and of breed German Shorthaired Pointer. His original owner abandoned him on the street. Then he got hit by a car causing an open fracture of his left front leg. The bone needed to be plated together while joining, a few months later the plate was removed by another surgery. Today he doesn't even limp. He also has some permanent scars on his back, probably from the same accident, or from other animals while he was a street dog.

Any excessive funding will be used for Bruno's future medical expenses, or donated to a heartworm awareness campaign, if one can be found.