1 heart for Rio / Facebook
A blood donor has been found for Rio, a puppy suffering from several heart defects and due to be operated on this week. The owner of an Australian Shepherd was kind enough to take her dog to a veterinary clinic to perform the life-saving transfusion.
The Demizieux are relieved; their young dog Rio will be able to receive a blood donation and therefore be operated on to the heart, as reported by L’Union on Monday, May 3.
It was in mid-February that they adopted this Border Collie, now 4 and a half months old, from a breeder in Aisne. The canine appeared to be in good health. This is, in any case, what the certificate signed by a veterinarian at the time of adoption indicated.
His colleague, to whom the Rio owners took him 3 weeks later for the vaccine booster, however noticed a heart murmur when examining him. She was hoping she was dealing with a temporary disorder that would go away over time, but it wasn’t. During the next visit, the veterinarian noticed that the puppy was even more breathless, that the puppy’s weight was not changing enough and that he was suffering from anemia.
No operation without blood transfusion
A more in-depth examination was carried out at the Pommery Veterinary Hospital , in Reims (51). He revealed, on April 24, 3 heart defects in the young Border Collie. Abnormalities causing a small dog’s heart to be 4 times bigger than normal. Rio needs to be operated on, otherwise he wouldn’t live more than a few months.
For the procedure to take place, a blood transfusion is necessary, as the puppy is at risk of losing a lot of blood.
The Demizieux have therefore launched an appeal in this direction on social networks. About thirty canine owners have offered to make their animals available to veterinarians to donate blood. Mallory , the mother says she is “ moved by this outpouring of solidarity ”. Among them, a resident of Laon (02), mistress of an Australian Shepherd called Olaf , who has undertaken to go with him to Reims for the transfusion.
Thanks to her and her dog, Rio will be able to be operated on at the CHV Pommery on the scheduled date, Wednesday 5 May in this case.
A fund to help owners pay for care
The solidarity that has developed around the Border Collie has also been expressed through donations of money. Nearly 400 euros have, in fact, been collected to date on the Leetchi platform, where a fund has been created to help the family meet the cost of the operation and care.
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The operation should cost 1930 euros, not counting the 300 euros already paid by the masters of Rio for the radiography and treatments in particular.
