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A deep biopsy of the swelling around the joint was performed
as previous needle biopsies had been unsuccessful in obtaining
a diagnosis. Unfortunately, but not unexpectedly, the biopsy
was confirmed as a type of cancer.
Sadly, Flatcoated retrievers appear to be one of the most
affected breed of dog with regard to a variety of different
cancer types.
The next problem was to determine Annie's treatment. The
pathologist specified the cancer type as being unlikely
to spread elsewhere in the body but to behave aggressively
at the original site. Consequently, amputation of the limb
was the only treatment option likely to effect a complete
cure and remove the source of pain.
The prospect of limb amputation is always daunting for
owners. The notion of owning a disabled or disfigured pet
is always a hard concept to overcome. Decisions have to
be made on the basis that the patient will significantly
benefit from the procedure. On that basis, amputation was
not only going to remove a source of considerable cause
of pain but also had a good chance of a complete cure.
Surgery went extremely well, Annie recovered astonishingly
quickly and her great enthusiasm for life reinforced that
the correct decision had been made. Very disappointingly,
it was discovered that the cancer had indeed spread despite
all our hopes.
This underlines the fact that when making decisions based
on the future we are dealing with probabilities and not
certainties. I am in no doubt that Annie has won something
from her operation as her current exuberance demonstrates,
unfortunately she didn't quite win the jackpot!
Terry
Dunne BVMS, Cert SAO, MRCVS
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