A poodle mix rescued from a hoarding situation in Idaho has successfully recovered from a congenital heart defect and is now permanently adopted by a veterinarian at Washington State University (WSU) College of Veterinary Medicine. The puppy, named Teedee, was one of 38 dogs and puppies removed from a property in Benewah County this summer.

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Upon his initial examination at the WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Dr. Cassidy Cordon identified a significant heart murmur, leading to a diagnosis of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), a defect where a fetal blood vessel connecting the aorta and pulmonary artery fails to close after birth.

Initially, Jenna Redheart, the director of the Idaho Animal Rescue Network, provided care for Teedee while arranging his medical treatment. “You never would have known anything was wrong with him. He played and ran as hard as all his littermates,” Redheart said, although they recognized the need for a specific medical foster post-surgery.

Dr. Laura Williams, a veterinary pathologist at WSU who lost her own dog recently, decided to foster Teedee. "He looked so much like Duke. I felt like it was my calling to do it, a way to honor Duke. It felt right," Williams stated.

Teedee underwent a minimally invasive procedure to correct the PDA at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, performed by cardiology resident Dr. Sarah Bayles under the supervision of Dr. Ryan Baumwart. Funding for Teedee’s care came from community donations. Following the surgery, he required 30 days of strict rest, a challenging task for an energetic puppy.

“Keeping him quiet was the hardest part. The next day, if allowed, he would have been zooming around,” Williams remarked.

After acting as Teedee's medical foster, Williams ultimately adopted him. Teedee now lives with her five-year-old Dalmatian, Lelu, and a cat. “He’s such a sweetheart. He loves people and my other pets. Everyone in the household has fallen in love with him,” Williams added.

Williams expressed gratitude towards the rescue efforts and her veterinary colleagues for Teedee’s successful outcome. “I'm really thankful to the rescue for saving Teedee and his littermates. I'm also glad the PDA was caught by our veterinarians and that we could get that fixed. He’s been thriving ever since,” she said.

Redheart emphasized the importance of having a veterinary teaching hospital like WSU nearby, stating, “Having a facility like WSU makes an enormous difference. We’ve had all kinds of cases there, and they’ve made life-changing differences for so many animals.”