CSU Vet Hospital helps Colorado Parks and Wildlife K9 officer with heart problem

From left to right, Dr. Bruna Del Nero, K9 Officer Cash with Colorado Parks and Wildlife and CPW Officer Brock McArdle pose for a picture together. Del Bruno and the Colorado State University James. L Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital were recently able to help Cash after he was diagnosed with Dilated Cardiomyopathy (Photo courtesy of Colorado Parks and Wildlife)

By Austin Fleskes | afleskes@prairiemountainmedia.com

PUBLISHED: July 26, 2023 at 6:13 p.m. | UPDATED: July 26, 2023 at 6:14 p.m.

Colorado State University’s James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital has helped out a Colorado Parks and Wildlife K9 officer suffering from heart disease.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife District Wildlife Manager Brock McArdle and his canine partner, Cash, share a moment of play at Wellington State Wildlife Area recently. Cash is one of only two dogs in the state trained to help wildlife officers with their investigations. He recently began working in Larimer County as part of a grant- and donation-funded pilot program. — Pamela Johnson / Loveland Reporter-Herald
In this photo from 2017, Colorado Parks and Wildlife District Wildlife Manager Brock McArdle and his canine partner, Cash, share a moment of play at Wellington State Wildlife Area. (Pamela Johnson / Reporter-Herald file photo)

Cash, a K9 officer who has been with CPW for the last seven years, recently experienced some health problems and a “concerning heart murmur,” according to a release from CPW. The release added that CPW has three K9 officers, all of which “help find evidence in poaching cases, assist with bear releases to help relocate them away from populated areas and (have) been able to sniff out endangered species” as well as serving as “teachers, social media influences and (participating) in educational presentations across the state.”

CPW contacted partners at CSU to seek medical support for Cash and discuss possible care and treatment options to help Cash. During an initial exam, Dr. Bruna Del Nero, a third-year resident in veterinary cardiology, diagnosed Cash with a dilated cardiomyopathy, an illness that causes the heart muscles to weaken that, if untreated, would lead to heart failure and sudden death, according to the release.

In 2018, the Food and Drug Administration began an investigation to research increased reports of DCM among a wider population of dogs, which ultimately showed that many DCM patients were “consuming non-traditional diets, which caused researchers to study DCM further and its potential link to specific diets and ingredients,” the release said.

“Many people have the misperception that food which is good for humans is also good for dogs, but that is not necessarily the case,” Del Nero said in the release. “Dogs eating a grain-free diet experiencing symptoms of lethargy, cough or difficulty breathing should be examined by a veterinarian.”

But, Cash was not left to deal with the diagnosis and was given medical attention and “intervention at an optimal time that allowed for diet changes and medication to improve his chances for a full recovery,” the release said; during his most recent checkup, CPW added, tests came back positive showing normal heart function.

“We are incredibly grateful for the dedicated veterinary specialists at CSU who helped us navigate Cash’s health issues,” CPW Wildlife Officer and Cash’s handler Brock McArdle said in the release. “Cash plays a critical role in our wildlife field operations and it’s our priority to give him a long, happy and healthy life. We hope Cash’s recovery story helps educate other dog owners about DCM and the valuable resources that CSU offers pet owners.”