Paul Holt and Lola Butel say they want to raise awareness after their eight-year-old dog Jessie was diagnosed with a mast cell tumour.
Jessie underwent an operation to remove the tumour. However, it could not be all removed. Instead of amputating Jessie’s leg vets recommended placing her on chemotherapy so she would not lose her quality of life.
Dr Ben Benander, from New Era Veterinary Hospital who is helping to treat Jessie, said she was receiving a drug called Palladia, a relatively new type of chemotherapy which tends to be well tolerated by dogs.
‘So far things are going great,’ Dr Benander said. ‘It is very serious medication which has to be monitored closely.
‘There is a chance of side effects and it’s important owners are educated on the dangers.
‘Before this drug was available the option would have been amputation of the limb. That is a very dramatic option.’
Dr Benander also called upon owners to check their dogs regularly for potential signs of cancer.
‘Make it part of your routine to have a gentle feel once a week or so when giving their grooming or petting them,’ he said. ‘Make a note if you notice any lumps or bumps – don’t panic but call your vet. Some lumps are no big deal but the sooner we catch cancer lumps the better our treatment options.’
Ms Butel (48), who works for SandpiperCI, said: ‘We wanted to raise awareness that a lump is not just a lump. We don’t know what is going to happen to Jessie. Cancer is not what you want your animal to go through, so we really want to raise awareness.’
