A Romanian rescue dog has made a remarkable recovery from a rare cancerous tumour thanks to specialist treatment at one of the UK’s leading small animal hospitals.
The stricken Corgi-crossbreed had only been in his new UK home a week when he developed worrying symptoms, including breathing difficulties and an increasing flow of discharge and blood from his nose.
Owners Kathryn and Brian Dean, from Kings Heath, Birmingham, took their new pet, which they had christened Mr Pickles, to local vets who, in turn, quickly referred him for award-winning care at Linnaeus-owned Willows Veterinary Centre and Referral Service in Solihull.
The unusual case was handled by Willows’ Mark Dunning, a European and RCVS specialist in internal medicine, and Megan Work, an ECVIM resident in internal medicine.
Megan explained: “Mr Pickles had reduced air flow through his nostrils and experienced pain when the front of his nose was touched.
“A CT scan confirmed there was a large mass inside his nose, which was taking up much of the space within the nasal cavity and we were concerned this could be cancerous. After special testing, it was confirmed Mr Pickles had what is called a Transmissible Venereal Tumour (TVT) inside his nose.
“Dealing with a TVT is quite unusual for us, as they are usually confined to tropical and subtropical areas around the world and are uncommon in the UK.
“The positive news was that, unlike other nasal tumours, TVTs have an excellent prognosis when treated with chemotherapy, so we started Mr Pickles on a six-week course in January.
“The results were excellent from the first weekly chemotherapy injection. The discharge from Mr Pickles’ nose immediately improved and he was snoring less. Within three treatments, the nasal discharge had stopped completely.
“He was no longer experiencing pain around his nose, and air flow through his nostrils returned to normal and we’re pleased to say he is now a very happy chap with a nice clear nose!”
The Deans are delighted with the transformation in Mr Pickles’ demeanour and he has now become an established part of the family, along with their long-time Dalmatian called Relish.
Kathryn said: “The treatment Mr Pickles received at Willows was fabulous. I cannot speak highly enough about their expertise, their empathy and their outstanding care.
“His life has been transformed. His snore, which was so loud it was laughable, has gone and he can breathe through his nose now.
“He’s stopping to smell everything now, too, in the garden and on our walks, and he particularly likes sniffing the flowers.
“It’s quite joyful to see, just wonderful and he and Relish have quickly become the very best of friends. We are delighted and extremely grateful.”
Willows offers specialist services in anaesthesia and analgesia, cardiology, clinical nutrition, dermatology, diagnostic imaging, emergency and critical care, internal medicine, neurology, oncology, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, soft tissue surgery and spinal surgery.
