We’ll bet you’ve heard of heartworm, but Gerald has quite the cautionary tale when it comes to a fairly common condition. Heartworm is a parasitic roundworm that is spread to dogs through mosquito bites. (Just another reason to hate those pesky bugs, right?) In most cases, heartworm can be treated through a series of injections. It can also be prevented through a monthly medication! This next part is gross- you can skip over it if you want. The condition is exactly how it sounds. Parasitic worms take up residence inside the heart, and they constantly grow and reproduce, causing inflammation and damage. If not treated in early stages, fully matured worms can be up to a foot in length. Yeah, yuck. Gerald had a pretty developed case of heartworm, to the point that medication could not solve. Brave little Ger underwent heart surgery to evict those nasty worms, which would have otherwise stopped his heart from functioning altogether. And Gerald’s got way too much love to give to let that happen! With quite the story to tell, 8-year-old Gerald is now getting plenty of love in his Help Me Heal (HMH) home, which is a foster-to-adopt program at PAWS Chicago where we cover all medical costs for the pet until they are medically clear for adoption. That’s when Gerald’s fosters will get to make it official! See other HMH pets at pawschicago.org/adopt