Rocky-Rocket (Rocky)

Greetings to all of our amazing greyhound lovers, Now that we have a better idea as to what’s going on with our absolutely fantastic teeny boy Rocky, we’d like to get you all caught up.Rocky is a local boy who came to us from a loving family who could no longer take care of him. As always we were more than happy to help a beautiful hound and the people who love him. We found him a great foster home, picked him up and made arrangements to have him neutered and fully vetted to get him ready for adoption and a new forever family. He was taken to the awesome folks over at Yaletown Pet Hospital and when they performed their pre-surgery check-up it was noted that he had a very loud and serious heart murmur. After discussions with 3 vets, we all agreed that we couldn’t move forward with the neuter as there was an added risk to Rocky’s safety. It was agreed that further examination should be done by way of either a chest x-ray or an echo-cardiogram/heart ultrasound. A chest x-ray alone will provide certain information but can be limited and not as thorough as ultrasound – although often both are done. We went ahead with the x-rays and echo-cardiogram/heart ultrasounds. The results were not good, they discovered that he has significant and serious issues with both the left and right side of his heart. Due to the seriousness of his heart condition, it was suggested that we do a follow up with a Canine Cardiologist along with additional testing so we know exactly what we’re dealing with, figure out the best treatment plan and keep Rocky as healthy and happy as we possibly can. We agreed. We contacted Dr. Mark Harmon, Board Certified in Veterinary Cardiology, at BluePearl Veterinary Partners in Seattle and booked an appointment. After more testing was done, Dr. Mark Harmon determined that Rocky’s heart condition is indeed very serious. Much to our heartbreak, we were made aware that Rocky could pass as soon as tomorrow, or if we’re lucky, 10 years from now. At the recommendation of the specialists, Rocky is starting a specialized cardiac support diet that has to be imported from the US. He is also beginning a medication regime that will keep him healthy and happy for as long as possible. Rocky will need to continue his specialized diet and take medication for the rest of his life, along with specialized care and support from his vets and his people. Due to these special medical needs, Rocky will be entering our “Forever Foster” program. This means that NCGL will be covering the cost of his specialized care for as long as we’re blessed to have his beautiful happy soul among us. We are covering the costs of his medication, prescription food, vet visits, additional veterinary support, and testing. Rocky will be 2 in November this year. One of the best things about dogs is that they live in the moment, the do not think about tomorrow or 10 years from now – they love their people today, they love their walks, they love their toys and they love to be loved. Rocky doesn’t know there is anything wrong with him and is happy – we will do our best to keep it this way as long as we possibly can, whether that be just today or the next (hopefully) 10 years of his life. We want to thank all of the amazing vets, fosters, volunteers and supporters that make helping Rocky possible. We are happy you have all put us in the position that we can give dogs like Rocky the best shot at a happy life and hope with your continued support we can continue to help dogs like Rocky for many more years to come. We love you Rocky, you are amazing and we’re going to make sure that your life is as full and joyful as we possibly can. A special thank you goes out to Michelle Wright at Furry Friends Photography for the beautiful photos – thank you so much. If you’d like to contribute to Rocky’s ongoing care we would really appreciate it!  Click on this Donate link to see the different ways you can donate to NCGL.