Plymouth woman's plea to help rescue dog "dealt the worst cards going"
Dexter is believed to have heartworms and his owner Laura is fundraising to cover the cost of his next treatment
Last updated 3rd Jul 2023
A Plymouth woman has issued an urgent plea to save her pet dog who "has been dealt the worst cards going".
Dexter has been staying with the vets "fighting for his life" with what are believed to be heartworms.
He needs to be referred to a specialist for treatment and it's estimated this will cost around £3,000.
Laura adopted Dexter from Romania four months ago. He was advertised as a 4-year-old French bulldog who was used for constant breeding.
Having received no love and affection, Laura and her two boys prepared everything necessary for his arrival, excited for him to become a part of their family - but she says everything went downhill from there.
Not only did the rescue company accidentally advertise the wrong dog, Dexter also arrived with a number of undisclosed health issues.
Laura says it meant pet insurance was "absolutely out of the question": "I took our new addition into the house placed him down and burst into tears immediately on seeing the condition he was in.
"He was extremely underweight, covered in dandruff with a bulging and weeping eye. His front teeth were practically hanging on by a thread and his body shape was distorted with his spine curved and head leering off to the side."
She says her focus was on getting him better: "In the leading months I had his dental issues sorted, he had an operation to remove the damaged teeth and a full descale. He then had his eye operation to fix the reoccurring eye infections and abscesses. I got his weight up and regular exercise helped with the muscle mass he had lost being shoved in a crate for years.
"Slowly bit by bit Dexter came out of his shell, he learnt that the rug wasn't that scary and every single person he met must want to give him a head scratch. He has been thoroughly adored by everyone who's had the pleasure of meeting him. I cannot express that he is not a dog, he is a very loved member of my family."
Dexter has been at the vets after having a worming tablet. Laura says his prognosis is "looking poor": "He has fluid on the lungs requiring on and off oxygen. He had been on IV fluids, anti sickness meds and steroids.
"He is believed to have heartworms which isn't found in the UK. He would have travelled from Romania with this and its only now the worms have become mature the symptoms are present.
"Once a worming tablet is given this kills all the worms in one go releasing a toxin that has spread through Dexter's body causing his heart to strain and his lungs to fill with fluid."
As it stands, Dexter needs to be referred to a specialist vet. He needs an MRI/CT scan and treatment for his heartworms.
Laura is fundraising to cover the cost of his next treatment. You can find her GoFundMe page here.