Another pet cancer story in our series, this time from Beth D, Havertown PA.
Rex and Maddy came to me as litter mates almost 16 years ago. They were born in Limerick PA, home of a nuclear power plant. We always wondered if that would have any bearing on their lives. At around age 12, Maddy began to have a weepy eye, but was otherwise still her normal self. I eventually took her to our vet who referred her to an ophthalmologist. He couldn’t find any major problem, had me put drops in her eyes and had me follow-up with my vet in a week. At her follow-up visit, my vet insisted that there was a problem and called to consult with the ophthalmologist. Back to the ophthalmologist we went where he took a closer look to find a malignant tumor under her eye. It was decided to take her eye within days. It took just a few weeks for Maddy to adjust. The hardest part was dealing with the collar and taking her medicine! And as my vet predicted, she is just as beautiful as ever!
About 1 year ago, Rex started acting lethargic and was cold to the touch. Again, a few trips to the vet, but when it was decided that we just couldn’t keep him warm, I was sent to the University of Penn emergency room. Within 24 hours, and many tests later, they found a cancerous tumor on his brain. The prognosis was not good. My vet, the specialist and I decided it wasn’t fair to Rex and the decision was made. I cannot say enough about how kind and compassionate my vet and the staff at UP were. As a matter of fact, if you were to hold a best vet contest, mine would win paws down!
I guess spending the first few weeks of your life near a nuclear power plant really does have an effect.
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Pet Cancer Stories
