Happy Gotcha Day Bishop!

MEET BISHOP!! This handsome 9 year old chocolate lab is such a sweet, loving boy. He has a wonderful personality and is so friendly! He will need some brushing up on basic manners because he can get distracted when excited, but we think he’ll be a quick learner! He appears to be housebroken and crate trained. Bishop was previously diagnosed and treated for heartworms at the shelter and is now heartworm free! He still has a fair amount of energy and you’d never be able to tell his age! 

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Foster update 08/24/2020:Bishop is doing great! From the first day that we got him to now, we can tell that his heart problems are more manageable. He can do a little more activity than he used to. We feel he is more comfortable with his body and what activities he can handle. Bishop is just overall happier and more himself these days. He loves going on nature trail walks to smell all the different flowers, bushes, and trees. He is a smart dog also. We always take him outside to go to the bathroom through our front door, so when he has to go now, he stands by the front door and barks to let us know. We live in a neighborhood with close houses near by but that doesn’t confuse him. He knows exactly which house he lives in. He blends right in with our family. It’s like we had him since he was a puppy. Bishop loves car rides too. Whenever we go somewhere with him, he is so excited to jump into the car and take a ride. He’s a good traveler and doesn’t mind when his usually environment changes. He can easily adapt. Overall, a great house-trained, happy chocolate Labrador.

Foster update 05/07/2020:Bishop has been doing well since his diagnosis with pulmonary hypertension. He is doing well on the medication and has been in great spirits. He still enjoys playing and fetching a ball, though he gets tired easily, so mild exercise is best. We let him limit himself at this point, and he’s been doing a good job of that. Bishop loves being around people and enjoys hanging out in the sunshine when the weather is nice. If you would like to add a loving, loyal, sunshine-loving labrador to your home, look no further! 

Foster update 4/26/20: We have some news to report. About a week ago, Bishop really scared us after he collapsed at home. He was able to get back up again and was taken to our vet for evaluation, at which time it was suspected that he may have experienced syncope (fainting) due to a heart condition. We immediately got him scheduled to see a cardiologist, and unfortunately Bishop has been diagnosed with moderate pulmonary hypertension secondary to chronic lung disease. This chronic lung disease was more than likely caused by extensive heartworm disease (which Bishop was previously treated for prior to being rescued). Due to the moderate pulmonary hypertension, the right side of Bishop‘s heart is also enlarged. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) refers to an abnormally high pulmonary artery pressure. Unfortunately, this disease is progressive, and the goal of therapy is to slow down the progression of clinical signs. Clinical signs associated with pulmonary hypertension include cough, increased respiratory rate, exercise intolerance/fatigue with exercise, and syncope (fainting). Bishop has been started on medication to help decrease the pressure in his pulmonary arteries and reduce clinical signs. Therapy is life long and excessive exercise should be avoided. While prognosis is variable and case-by-case dependent, dogs with PH can live for several years, so we are hopeful that Bishop continues to respond well to the medication and can continue to be his normal happy self for as long as possible. At only 9 years old, he still has plenty of love left to give and deserves to be spoiled in his “golden years”.

Foster update 04/20/2020:  Bishop is awesome so far. He is settling in great. He is sitting on the deck with us while we cook on the grill.  He follows us everywhere with a wagging tail and a smile on his face. Here are a couple of pictures.