Great Dane from Dundee is newest face of charity campaign

Five-year-old Juno, from Dundee, has become the newest face of vet charity PDSA's Sponsor Me Better fundraising campaign, which enables animal lovers to sponsor pets that need long-term treatment for life-threatening illnesses.

Juno led a fairly normal life until last year, when his owner, Anne Miller, noticed his breathing had become heavier and he started struggling to play and run.

 

Anne (51) said: “Juno had always been a very happy, playful dog so I was really worried when he became ill. The PDSA hospital in Dundee examined Juno and found that he had a very erratic heartbeat.  They looked at Juno’s heart using their ultrasound scanner and I was devastated when they told me he had a serious heart condition that could kill him.”

 

Andy Cage, PDSA’s Senior Veterinary Surgeon in Dundee, said: “The ultrasound showed us that Juno suffers from dilated cardiomyopathy, a serious condition that means the heart can’t pump enough blood around the body.  

 

“Thankfully, Mrs Miller brought Juno in to see us which meant we were able to diagnose what was wrong. Cardiomyopathy can remain ‘silent’ for months or years before the signs become apparent and once the symptoms appear it’s important to get a dog checked out. Juno’s diagnosis means we can provide him with the medication he needs to continue leading a happy life. But we’ll have to check Juno regularly to make sure that he is responding well to his treatment.”

 

Juno will need a cocktail of medication for the rest of his life, together with regular veterinary check-ups to monitor his condition.

 

Owner Anne adds: “Juno has to take a multitude of tablets every day, and will need these for the rest of his life. I was so relieved when PDSA said they could help him. The vets and nurses have been absolutely fantastic. I don’t know how I would afford his treatment without their help, if it wasn’t for PDSA, Juno wouldn’t be here now.

 

“Being a Great Dane, Juno is very popular when we go out for gentle walks and he gets lots of attention. So I’m hoping that local residents will help PDSA by sponsoring Juno’s medication.”

To sponsor a poorly pet like Juno, please phone 0800 975 9575 or log onto www.sponsormebetter.org.uk for more details.