Meet Teddy Bear!
This sweet boy was found wandering the streets in pretty bad shape. A Good Samaritan rescued him and was able to find him a temporary foster home, but he's going to need quite a bit of medical attention.
Teddy Bear (previously known as Petey) tested positive for heartworm disease.
During his vet visit on 9/28/22, we learned that Teddy Bear’s case of heartworm disease is severe. The x-rays were able to show how extreme it is. Teddy Bear will be on prednisone and doxy for the next three months. Because of the severity, treatment will be slow and prolonged.
Teddy Bear has a long road ahead, but foster mom, Lori Davis, is taking great care of him. Dog Squad is going to partner with Lori to help care for this sweet boy. We can use any and all donations to help cover the cost of his heartworm treatment. The invoice for his initial vet visit is listed below.
Update 5/25/23
To describe this week’s emotions as a rollercoaster would be an understatement… BUT…
WE RECEIVED THE BEST NEWS EVER!!
Dr. Schmitz spoke with a cardiologist who reviewed Squad Foster Teddy Bear’s x-rays and officially APPROVED TEDDY BEAR TO RECEIVE HEARTWORM TREATMENT!!!!
This means NO HOSPICE FOR TEDDY!!
Teddy Bear will start 30 days of doxycycline tomorrow, and will receive his first Melarsomine injection 60 days later.
We are overjoyed for Teddy and his foster family!!THANK YOU to Dr. Schmitz, Five Forks Animal Hospital, and Teddy’s foster family for helping Teddy Bear get the second chance that he deserves. His journey continues.
**Special shoutout to Gibbs You More Photography for capturing the most amazing photos of Teddy Bear!
Update 5/23/23
The best part of running a rescue is being able to celebrate the heartwarming outcomes of some of the most difficult cases. Unfortunately, we also have the days when our hearts break into pieces knowing we cannot save every dog.
Yesterday was one of those days.
Squad Foster Teddy Bear had his first vet visit yesterday with Dr. Schmitz at Five Forks Animal Hospital, and he was such a good boy throughout his entire appointment!
The Good News: Teddy has a double ear infection and a yeasty skin infection covering his body. Why is this good news? Because both are easy to treat with the prescribed medications. He’s an otherwise healthy boy weighing in at 67lbs.!
Now, the Difficult News…
Dr. Schmitz took some new X-rays of Teddy Bear’s heart and lungs, which showed the advanced progression of heartworm disease. Before retiring a few months ago, Teddy’s former vet started him on slow-kill. He’s one of those pups whose disease was so far advanced that it was safer to use slow-kill. The AHS stresses that any “slow kill” protocol is a salvage procedure, not a treatment of choice. The longer adult worms take to die, the more damage caused to the dog’s pulmonary system.
In general, dogs with advanced heartworm disease are more difficult to treat, and Teddy Bear is no exception. His advanced infection means that the heartworms have been present long enough to cause significant damage to the heart, lungs, and blood vessels, and other vital organs in his body. Unfortunately, in severe cases like this, traditional heartworm treatment is often fatal.
Teddy Bear’s heart is enlarged, and his prognosis is bleak. Because of the havoc this disease has wrecked on his body, Teddy is not a good candidate for further treatment and will continue to live his life as a hospice pup.
Teddy Bear is back in his foster home, where he will stay for the duration of the life he has left ahead of him. We are SO grateful for his foster family who has agreed to care for him as a hospice foster, and we know he will be treated like the sweet Teddy Bear king that he is. We cannot do what we do without people like y’all!
We are also thankful for Dr. Schmitz and the Five Forks Animal Hospital family for helping us determine the best course of action for Teddy.
We need your help covering the costs of Teddy’s vet bills! You can make a tax deductible donation via
▫️Venmo: @dogsquad88
▫️PayPal: @dogsquad88
Or you can send a check via USPS:
Make check out to Dog Squad and send to
Dog Squad, 3620 Pelham Rd, PMB #404, Greenville, SC 29615
