Save Our Sander : 6 mo rescue needs emergency PDA surgery

*5/14 HIS SURGERY IS FULLY FUNDED*

>>THANK YOU, THANK YOU<<

any further donations will go to Sander’s daily heart medication (pimobendan) $130/month, possibly life long

HIS EMERGENCY PDA SURGERY

was a huge success, his heart is healed and he is doing well in recovery

PROFOUND GRATITUDE to his surgeon Dr. Berns, the AMC surgical team 3 and all his ICU nurses for providing his life saving treatment

In 3 months, Sander will receive a follow-up echocardiogram with his cardiologist to assess next steps ❤️‍

{THANK YOU FOR SAVING SANDER}

Please check out all his UPDATES to follow along with his journey!

original post:

Hi everyone,

My name is Anne Marie and I am currently in my final year of the Purdue University- Vet Nursing Distance Learning Program, studying to be a licensed veterinary technician.

My life calling is to rescue and save animals, I am here to ask for your help on this one.

Sander is a 6 month old island dog from St. Lucia. He took his freedom flight to Newark Airport on Saturday, April 19th. Since then, I have discovered our sweet guy is not quite free yet. Upon arriving to the states, Sander was diagnosed with Patent Ductus Arteriosis (PDA), he has a 6/6 heart murmur and heart thrill that can be observed by gently placing your hands on his left side. Due to the extremity of his condition, his heart is severely dilated and he is at high risk for the development of congestive heart failure at any moment.

He is in need of emergency PDA surgery to correct this abnormally. PDA is a birth defect; therefore his condition has been progressing since the moment he was born. Due to this fact, he is no longer a good candidate for the traditional minimally invasive procedure in which a cardiologist inserts a catheter/plug into the duct to close off the blood flow. His condition will require a board certified specialty surgeon to make an incision between the ribs and close off the duct with sutures.

With an extensive amount of help from industry friends, his surgery is scheduled for Monday, May 12th at The Schwarzman Animal Medical Center in New York.

>>SANDER’S STORY<<

Sander was found outside a resort on St. Lucia with his siblings; very sadly his mother was found deceased next to them. After being saved by the St. Lucia Bruno Project Rescue he was neutered, vaccinated, de-wormed and sent on his freedom flight. On the island, he was considered the shyest and smallest of the litter.

I assisted in picking him up from Newark airport and transferred him into a foster home. Immediately upon holding him, I knew something was not right with his heartbeat. I notified the rescue, however they insisted a fast heart rate is normal for puppies and wanted to give him time to adjust in foster care. After about 4 days in his foster home, he was still not eating or drinking on his own, feeling lethargic and developed difficulty breathing.

After hearing of his labored breathing, I wasted no time and immediately brought him to Blue Pearl Midtown, where I am currently doing my vet technician externship. The incredible staff at BluePearl kindly donated time and efforts to his cause once they palpated his extremely advanced cardiac condition. His condition was reviewed by the ER doctor and passed on to the cardiology team. He received an echocardiogram confirming his PDA and x-rays to rule out pulmonary edema (a buildup of fluid in the lungs).

Without timely intervention, he will develop pulmonary edema leading to congestive heart failure – in which case surgery will no longer be an option. He is now on two cardiac medications to lessen the chances of developing pulmonary edema, as we wait on AMC to schedule his life saving procedure.

>> SANDER IS A SURVIVOR<<

Sander has an INCREDIBLE will to live. He continues to defy all the odds in spite of his severe heart condition. He was neutered with an already progressing heart murmur. He flew on a 5 hour flight from St. Lucia to New Jersey with a 6/6 grade heart murmur and heart thrill; something all doctors agree he should have never been cleared to do and was in danger of going into stress-induced cardiac arrest on the plane. Despite all this, he found himself in the hands of a vet technician who WILL NOT give up on him. One thing is for certain, he is a FIGHTER – he did not come this far, battling this severe of a condition for someone to give up on him or for his condition to go unnoticed.

While he was at first beyond terrified of life, he is now thriving (as best he can) at home with me. He prances around the apartment like a little fawn learning to walk. He enjoys a squeaky toy or chewing on a bone, but also requires ample amounts of quiet resting time. The first night in my care, he nervously jumped on the bed and snuggled against my legs. From that moment on, bedtime became time for cuddles and prayers and doing my best to try to calm his little heart that is fiercely beating out of his chest.

He is a medical miracle and deserves to live the rest of his life comfortably.

Please, join me on this journey to achieve saving Sander’s life. Any amount of donation is greatly appreciated, prayers are always welcome. Thank you for your time and interest in hearing Sander’s story.

>> GRATITUDE <<

From the bottom of my heart and Sander’s incredibly enlarged heart, a thank you...

to his miracle team of medical angels:

*Dr. Berns, DVM, DACVS-SA (Senior Veterinarian, AMC)

*AMC Surgical Team 3

-Dr. Davis, DVM (ER, BluePearl Midtown)

-Dr. Wiley, VMD, DACVIM (Cardiologist, BluePearl Midtown)

-Dr. Choe, DVM (Primary Care, AMC NY)

-Steffi (Vet Assistant, BluePearl Midtown, AMC)

all those involved, especially:

-Jason (foster dad, transport driver and biggest supporter)

-Brad, Lynn and Matt (friends jumping in at any moment for assistance)

-All friends and family for prayers, encouragement and lending an empathetic listening ear