Help Chico Get Life-Saving Cardiac Care After Losing His Home

Chico is a 10-year-old Chihuahua who has spent his entire life deeply loved. His owner made sure he was always cared for — she had him neutered, kept him current on vaccines, and even provided daily pain medication to ease his arthritis. But when her own health declined and she had to move into a nursing home, she was heartbroken to say goodbye to her loyal companion.

One By One stepped in to help Chico, determined to make sure this sweet senior would continue receiving the care he deserves. During his recent veterinary visit, it became clear that Chico’s health is fragile and he needs urgent follow-up care. His exam revealed abnormalities on his bloodwork, severe dental disease requiring extractions, and — most concerning — an abnormal heart rhythm and unusual heart sounds. While listening to him, the veterinarian noted a possible arrhythmia and even observed his tongue turning a shade of purple, suggesting possible low oxygen levels. These findings make a full cardiac workup essential before any dental surgery can safely be performed.

Chico now needs an echocardiogram, ECG, and cardiac consultation with a specialist. These tests will determine whether he requires medication and how to safely proceed with his dental treatment. Unfortunately, the specialty clinic requires payment at the time of service, and the cost for the cardiac workup is $1,300.

Additional expenses include:

• Dental extractions estimated at $500

• Senior bloodwork already performed: $150

Although this sounds like a lot, Chico is only 10 years old and still has many happy years ahead of him with proper care. Helping him now not only improves his quality of life, but also brings tremendous comfort to the owner who loved him for so long and wants to know he is safe and cared for.

Your donation will help Chico receive the cardiac testing he urgently needs and move forward with life-improving treatment. Every contribution, no matter the amount, helps this sweet senior get closer to the care he deserves. Together, we can show Chico — and the people who love him — that senior dogs matter, and they deserve every chance to live their best life.

4/29/26 Update

Yesterday, Chico made the long trip to MedVet for his full cardiology consultation, including an echocardiogram (heart ultrasound) and ECG, and we truly received the best news we could have hoped for. While the veterinarian did confirm that Chico has two mildly leaky heart valves, these changes are considered age- and breed-related and, thankfully, do not require cardiac medication at this time. Even better — Chico has officially been cleared for anesthesia under a monitored cardiac protocol.

This means we can now move forward with the next major step in his healing: addressing the severe dental disease that has likely been causing him chronic pain for quite some time. For a tiny senior dog, bad teeth are not just cosmetic — they are painful, dangerous, and can affect the entire body. Infected teeth and diseased gums can make eating miserable, worsen inflammation, and continue putting strain on his health if left untreated.

Now that his heart has been evaluated, Chico desperately needs his dental procedure and extractions scheduled as soon as possible so he can finally eat comfortably, feel better, and enjoy the happy golden years he deserves. But we still need your help to get him there.

The cardiology visit was a huge expense, and we are now actively fundraising for Chico’s upcoming dental surgery. This procedure is essential — not optional — and every day we wait is another day Chico continues living with pain in his mouth.

Please donate and share to help us finish what we started for Chico. His best years are waiting — and we cannot get him there without you.