Rocket was diagnosed with a large tumour invading his upper jaw and nose. His dedicated owners, Deborah and Robbie, had noticed that he had been showing signs of pain in his mouth, and a subsequent growth was noted on Rocket’s upper jaw.
A sample taken showed a benign cancer, however the extent of the lesion was concerning. The tumour was not only growing inside the top of the mouth but had invaded into the tissue of the nose.
Rocket was referred to Annabel McFadzean, an EBVS European Veterinary Specialist in Dentistry. Deborah said: “No-one likes to hear the word “tumour” in their pets’ diagnosis, but Annabel counselled us sensitively, pragmatically laying out the severity of the situation but reassuring us that this needn’t be the end of the road.
To remove the tumour he would require extensive maxillofacial surgery but we were assured he could live a happy and healthy life after surgery.”
Commenting on the surgery required, Annabel said: “Rocket’s mass was large and expansive, and due to its extent we knew the only option for a cure was to resect all of the tissues affected by cancer including the nose.” Even though the surgery would radically change his appearance, Deborah and Robbie knew it was the best option to ensure that Rocket survived and was able to live a happier life.
They were able to reach out to another owner whose dog had undergone the same procedure: “She did not sugar-coat it for a minute, but she said that it was worth it and we saw videos of her dog playing with his ball, running around with other dogs and eating ravenously!
We were never in doubt about Annabel’s professionalism, extensive knowledge and empathy both for us and for Rocket, so we took him up to Cave for his operation.”
Annabel continued: “This surgery is a complex procedure and several members of Cave including Anaesthesia specialists and nurses came together with myself to make sure that the surgery was successful, and Rocket was given the highest level of care.
Rocket was such a loved patient by everyone, and although his outward appearance has been affected, his amazing personality shone through.
He has had to learn to eat normally again, and play with his toys in a different way but his beard has grown back and he remains as handsome as ever! Even more importantly the treatment has been extremely successful with no evidence of cancer remaining.”
Deborah said: “Rocket has gone from strength to strength. He has loved being hand fed, the sparkle is back in his eyes and he is loving being a silly dog again playing with his older brother Gus.
He can even pick up and play with his ball-on-a-rope again! We know we made the right decision and we cannot thank Annabel and all the Cave staff enough for their guidance, pragmatism and skill throughout this process.”
