A MUCH-loved Border Collie is preparing for an extra-special birthday – after undergoing a lifesaving operation to remove a cancerous tumour the size of a satsuma.
Callie is about to celebrate her 14th birthday after making a remarkable recovery from an emergency operation to remove a 1.2kg mass from her spleen, which was at risk of rupturing.
Her devoted owners, Jane and Graham Arnott, from Hayton, near Carlisle, had taken Callie to Ashlea Vets in Carlisle for a free routine six-month health check, as she is an older dog receiving medication for age-related conditions.
After listening to her heart and chest and taking a blood pressure reading, veterinary nurse Sarah Findlay offered her owners the opportunity of a blood test at part of their Pet Health Plan to make sure their pet was doing well.
Ashlea Vets is part of VetPartners, one of the UK’s largest groups of veterinary practices and animal healthcare businesses which is led by vets.
Despite her happy demeanour and wagging tail, the blood tests came back with a worrying discovery that Callie had pancytopenia, where there are low levels of all three types of blood cells – red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.
An ultrasound shows a large mass
Pancytopenia can be caused by lots of different things, so Callie was booked in for further investigations to find out why her blood counts were reduced. An ultrasound scan showed she had a large mass attached to her spleen, which needed to be urgently removed before it ruptured.
Callie underwent emergency surgery to remove the mass and her spleen in a delicate two-and-a-half-hour procedure carried out by vet Kathryne Hodgson.
All went well and Callie was back on her paws a few hours later and has gone on to make a full recovery in time for her 14th birthday on April 15th.
Vet Kathryne said: “A successful outcome for Callie was only possible due to the care of the whole team, and it highlights the importance of senior health screening to pick up this silent disease that could otherwise have ended very differently.
“While blood screening in a otherwise healthy older dog can seem unnecessary, Callie’s case highlights it can sometimes be lifesaving. Even if everything is fine on the bloods it gives us a baseline for that pet which we can use to compare future results.
“The reason Callie is still here to celebrate her birthday is thanks to her owners taking up the advice of Sarah our registered veterinary nurse. Fellow vet Alex Ruiz and I were only then able to identify the tumour on her spleen and operate to remove it. Without this intervention there was a high risk that the tumour would rupture and bleed, and she may not have survived that.”
Kathryne added: “Callie is a gorgeous girl, and I am just pleased we could make her better. Splenic tumours can be difficult to find, Callie’s case was unusual in that she had changes in her bloods called pancytopenia where the white cell counts are far too low, potentially impacting her body’s immune system.”
An extra-special birthday celebration
Callie returned to the practice this week for an extra-special early birthday celebration with the veterinary team who saved her life.
Callie’s delighted owner Jane said: “It came as such a shock when we heard we had to rush her back after they received the blood test results, because she wasn’t displaying any outward symptoms there was anything wrong. We’re just so relieved we went ahead with the blood tests as, if we hadn’t agreed, it would have been a completely different story as the mass would have ruptured.
“Ashlea Vets were absolutely superb – from the nurse who offered the blood test to the receptionist who called us to bring her back to the vet who operated.
“It is remarkable how quickly she has bounced back. She is happy with life and able to go on walks. People in our village have been coming up and saying how worried they were that they hadn’t seen her for a few weeks on her walks. Everyone is so pleased to see her, and it will be a special birthday for her and for us now she is back to health.”
- Article by Amanda Little, VetPartners PR and Communications Director. Email [email protected]