The story of Gavrusha the dog who fell ill with a deadly infection, but managed to win

Active, playful and very contactable, Gavrusha loves running, jumping and socializing with other dogs more than anything else in the world. But it wasn’t always like that. Not long ago Gavryusha lived on the street, and then he got sick – and only thanks to the veterinarians he remained alive.

During an examination he was found to have a fractured back leg, and most importantly – several dozen ticks were removed. This is a very alarming sign. Alas, after examination our fears were confirmed: Gavrusha (so called the dog) was found to have pyroplasmosis.

This deadly infection develops after a bite from an infected tick. The incubation period lasts from two days to two weeks. Once in the blood, the pyroplasm destroys red blood cells – and if not treated, the animal dies within 4-5 days after the first symptoms appear.

Gavrush was lucky. He was immediately admitted to the hospital and started treatment. Thanks to the doctors, the dog went on the mend and managed to defeat pyroplasmosis. However, not all animals can cope with the disease. Especially puppies and older dogs, for whom even the best treatment sometimes does not help.

“Keeping tailed dogs safe is simple enough,” says David, a paramedic at the Nika Foundation. – You need to treat them in time with preparations that repel ticks.” Unfortunately, shelter dogs often lack them.

Now the Nika Foundation is collecting money for flea and tick repellents for dogs living in shelters. One vial of special drops costs about $6. It will save from ticks one dog. There are 800 animals in total in the shelters of the fund, and everyone needs protection.