I am so happy to report that handsome Rhett Butler has shown great progress over the last five days. The first three days were critical for him. We were able to get the fluid out, and with proper heart meds, the fluid has not accumulated. Rhett's Cardiologists does not want to wait two months before treating him for the heartworms he already has. If he continues to improve with his strict regimen, she will do his first Immiticide Treatment in two weeks.
The next two weeks are going to be critical for his long-term recovery. In addition to his Heart Disease, this precious dog is severely emaciated. We are having to deal with putting weight on him and not producing Re-feeding Syndrome which happens when your organs have begun to shut down, and food is added too soon. Rhett gets lots of very small meals a day. This allows his body to digest what he has taken in and not cause his organs to react negatively.
Rhett has got to be one of the sweetest, most gentle Pitbulls we have ever had the pleasure of treating. He will go up to the meanest dogs kennel that is barking, spitting and just raising all kinds of Hell and not raise one hair on his body. He goes from kennel to kennel telling everyone he meets Hello with the sweetest smile you will ever see. His tail constantly wags from the joy of being rescued. Rhett Butler is a true Southern Gentleman that is all Charm.
Our dear boy has several months of treatment before he will be stable. The Cardiologist believes that with time and proper Medical Care, Rhett has the potential to fully recover from his Heart Disease. The biggest issue will be if his heart going down in size after all the strain it has had on it.
Rhett will be seeing Dr. Jesty at CVRC for several months. All of his treatments will be done under her care in ICU to make sure he does not have any complications. If anything happens, they will be prepared to deal with it. Once we are done with all of his treatments, he should be free of heartworms and the damaging effects they have had on his body.
I am so glad we took this incredible dog under our Wing. Life has been cruel and unjust to him, and he has nothing but Love for everyone he meets and every animal he sees. I thought it would be a Miracle if Rhett lived for another 24-hours. I then prayed for another Miracle that he would make it 48 hours. Miracles kept happening and as swollen and desperate as this poor pup was, he never gave up or gave in to all the hardship, he had to endure.
Helping an animal in need starts with unconditional Love and a commitment to not abandon them when their time comes or times get tough. Money is not what saves animals. It is a willingness to not give up on them no matter how desperate Life is. It is a Miracle I get the opportunity to tell you his story of Survival. My Heart tells me he is going to make it and that is enough to fight another day and not give up on him. Thanks for being his Guardian Angel and Ours.
