A DOG owner has praised a Dorset veterinary practice for saving her pet’s life by removing a tumour the size of a newborn baby from his abdomen.
Eight-year-old Labrador Murphy underwent surgery at Lynwood Vets, which is part of the VetPartners group of veterinary practices, after an ultrasound scan showed he had a large mass attached to his spleen.
Despite not showing any signs of being unwell, Murphy, who is a support dog as well as being a much-loved family pet, was concealing the 3.8kg (8.3lb) mass – equal to 10% of his bodyweight – within his abdomen.
The mass had grown so big it was putting pressure on his other organs, which caused Murphy’s heart to stop on the operating table and he needed to be resuscitated by the veterinary team.
Thanks to the care, skills and expertise of Lynwood Vets, and the dedication of his owners Debbie and Philip Jones, Murphy has made a full recovery. His owners and the veterinary team are now joining forces to highlight the benefits of regular health checks for pets.
Vet and senior clinical director of Lynwood Vets Duncan Reavell, who performed the surgery, said the mass was discovered when Mrs Jones took Murphy to the practice in Station Road, Wimborne, because she had noticed a slight bulge in her pet’s stomach.
When the ultrasound scan revealed the lump, Duncan explained to Mr and Mrs Jones that it was life-threatening and discussed the options for Murphy, which included euthanasia or surgery. They opted for surgery and Murphy was rushed into the operating theatre to remove the mass and also his spleen.
He said that Murphy is lucky that his owners brought him to the practice when they did, because the tumour was at the point of rupturing, which could have caused fatal internal bleeding.
Duncan said: “The mass inside Murphy was so big it was putting pressure on his internal organs and preventing blood from circulating, which is what caused his heart to stop during surgery. When Murphy went into cardiac arrest, our team responded quickly to resuscitate him, while I continued with the surgery because it was vital to remove the mass and stop it affecting the heart. Once it was removed, Murphy stabilised and he’s gone on to make a great recovery.
“It was a team effort to save Murphy and I’m proud of the way the team responded. Pet CPR isn’t something we perform every day but we practise the procedure regularly, and this made all the difference in Murphy’s case.”
Murphy was given round-the-clock care at the practice overnight and was able to go home the next day. The mass was sent to a laboratory for analysis, where it was found to be benign.
Duncan added: “We were very relieved that Murphy’s tumour was benign and that he’s gone on to make such a good recovery.
“Internal tumours like these are quite common, although we usually see them in pets older than Murphy, and we’ve seen a further case since performing his surgery. As Murphy’s case shows, these lumps are not always obvious, so regular pet health checks are a good idea to help spot any issues as soon as possible. You can also check your pet yourself when you groom them. Checking them over regularly helps you learn what’s normal for their body and you can look and gently feel for any unusual lumps or bumps. If you find something and you’re not sure about, give your vet practice a call for advice.”
Murphy is now back home in Lytchett Matravers, where he’s much loved by Mr and Mrs Jones, their three children and three grandchildren. Murphy is also a registered support dog for Mr Jones, who suffered a stroke 20 years ago. Murphy provides emotional support to Mr Jones and helps give him the confidence to be independent.
Mrs Jones said: “We were so close to losing Murphy and I can’t thank Lynwood Vets enough for saving him. The whole team is very caring and I trust Duncan implicitly, so I knew Murphy was in safe hands for the surgery. As well as giving Murphy the best care, they were also caring towards us, keeping us informed at every point and letting us see Murphy before the surgery, just in case he didn’t make it through.
“We were so worried about him, but after the surgery he recovered very quickly and he’s gone from strength to strength. To look at him now, it’s hard to believe that he had such a close brush with death.
“The size of the tumour left everyone surprised and when I booked the ultrasound scan I had no idea if they’d find anything. I just had an inkling that something wasn’t quite right, but it was only that he’d started sighing when he lay down and sometimes his tummy looked slightly swollen. Other than that, he was eating and drinking and behaving as normal.
“Duncan took the time to talk us through all the options for Murphy, but we opted for surgery because he’s very special to us and we wanted to give him every chance. I rang round the whole family before we went ahead, and they were 100% behind my decision.
“I’m just so glad I took him to the vets to get him checked out because otherwise he might not still be here.”
Lynwood Vets has surgeries in Wimborne, Bournemouth, Wareham, Verwood and Swanage and puts the care of pets, care of people and care of each other above all else.