February 2012 Patient of the Month: Audi
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Audi is a beautiful 10
year-old spayed female English setter. Our Oncologists at
VRCC first examined Audi in September 2009 for a diagnosis of
melanoma of the right upper lip. Her family veterinarian had
surgically removed the melanoma from the lip and then referred Audi
to us for staging and additional treatment. Early spread of the
melanoma to the lymph node was found during staging.
Treatment was initiated with the melanoma vaccine to stimulate
Audi’s immune system to prevent progression of the melanoma.
Audi was recently reevaluated at our hospital and we confirmed that
she remains in complete remission at 28 months and counting.
Audi’s family shares a few anecdotes, “ Audi is the queen of
our home. She became an AKC champion English setter by the time she
was two years old. She will point anything that moves –
butterflies, rabbits and birds. Her favorite places in the
house are under our feet when eating, anywhere in the sun, the
couch or on one of her two beds. In addition to pointing, she
loves riding in her tail wagon… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-CyIzMP78g“
To see more pictures of Audi and her adoring family, please visit
http://www.facebook.com/VeterinaryCancerSpecialists.
January 2012 Patient of the Month: Rockie
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Rockie's mom shares their story, "A little over 10 years ago, my
husband and I adopted a delightful apricot poodle mix from a local
shelter. When we were deciding what to name him, my husband
suggested “Herb”. Really?? I mean… Herb??!! Well, being the
rabid Colorado Rockies fan that I am, I suggested the name
“Rockie.” So, that’s how our dog ended up being named after my
favorite baseball team. We even got him a purple collar! It also
explains the special spelling of an otherwise rather common name
for dogs. I’m always quick to point out to people that his
name is spelled R-O-C-K-I-E…and I always tell them why!
Rockie’s experience with Veterinary Cancer Specialists began in
late 2010. I need to say up front that we owe our groomer (who has
since retired) an eternal debt of gratitude for letting us know
promptly about something she found on Rockie’s right rear leg while
grooming him. During a routine grooming in the fall of 2010, she
noticed a knot on his leg that she had not noticed previously. This
is something I do not believe that my husband or I would have
noticed because of Rockie’s long hair. But the groomer told
us immediately, and she let us know in no uncertain terms that we
should have it checked out right away. She said that it did not
appear to be attached to the bone at that point, but if we waited
until that attachment took place, it could be very dangerous. So we
took her seriously and took Rockie to our vet without delay. He had
surgery to remove the knot, which turned out to be a malignant
nerve sheath tumor. Even after surgery, there was still some
microscopic involvement. So we consulted with veterinary oncologist
Dr. Robyn Elmslie. We had had a brief interaction with Dr. Elmslie
when we brought our terminally ill dog Sampson (whom we owned
before we got Rockie) to her for some last-ditch care on what
turned out to be the day he passed away. She was friendly,
compassionate, and professional then. Nine years later, she was the
same with Rockie. We discussed several options including amputation
of the leg. We just could not bring ourselves to do that, so we
elected a course of radiation therapy, which carried an 85% chance
of cure.
It never ceased to amaze us how Rockie seemed to sail through
the 18 daily radiation treatments. Most of the time, even the
needed anesthesia didn’t seem to bother him. He did have some
challenging moments while his leg had to remain bandaged so that it
could heal. But an inventive staff member fabricated a protective
sleeve for Rockie’s leg out of an IV bag and gauze wrap. We could
tie this around his upper leg when we needed to keep the dressing
dry. Ingenious and effective! I wasn’t sure whether Rockie’s hair
would grow back in that area, but Dr. Elmslie expected it to. Well,
she was right! Today, the hair is darker than that on the other
leg, but every bit as long and thick!
Rockie remains an active, healthy dog with no sign of cancer to
date. When Dr. Elmslie saw him last, she expected him to have
several more years with us. Of course, we know that age will
eventually catch up with him as it does with all of us. But in the
meantime, thanks to the great care of Veterinary Cancer
Specialists, we expect to continue to experience the joy that
Rockie has brought us ever since he joined our family. VRCC, you
have scored a home run!"
December 2011 Patient of the Month: Pavarotti
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Pavarotti is a very sweet
4-year-old neutered male black cat. He was presented to our VRCC
Oncology department in April 2010 for evaluation of a mass in the
chest cavity. Pavarotti was known to be a carrier of the
Feline Leukemia virus, which can cause the development of lymphoma
in the chest cavity in young cats. Pavarotti’s family elected
to embark on chemotherapy despite their concerns about cost and a
long drive from Leadville to Denver each time. They share
their story, “He responded well to treatment and is still with
us. I named him Pavarotti when he was a kitten, one of
numerous feral cats that I was feeding when I lived in Texas.
He could meow louder than a score or more of other cats when it was
time to eat. So I named him after a great singer. He
and his 3 siblings became pets and it wasn't until I was having
them fixed that the vet discovered the presence of feline
leukemia. Pavarotti's sister also had it, as did her litter
of 4 kittens. Of the 8, only 2 are left; Pavarotti and
his brother, Smarty.
Pavarotti is a sweet guy. We usually call him Purrvous, or
Purrvy, or Purrvalicious. In the photo, he is all dressed up
for Halloween. (He's always dressed for Halloween.) He
is active and enjoys cavorting around with Smarty and chasing
rabbits, although at times Smarty can be a pain in the tail.
He is also a good lap cat.”
November 2011 Patient of the Month: Zoe
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Zoe is a beautiful and energetic
7-year old spayed female Goldendoodle. She was presented to
our VRCC Oncology department in February 2010 with a diagnosis of
fibrosarcoma of the right hock. The cancer was identified in
January 2010 when Zoe began limping on the right hind leg.
The cancer was found to be invasive into the hock and therefore
could not be fully removed without amputation. Zoe and her
sister are extremely active, so the goal with treatment was to
aggressively treat the cancer while ensuring continuation of Zoe’s
high quality of life. Amputation was not part of the
plan.
Zoe’s family shares their story “My sister Zoe was diagnosed in
January 2010 with cancer of the hock. Mom had several options
to weigh and she chose radiation, which is one of the most
aggressive forms of treatment. Every weekday, for almost a
month, my sister would leave with my mom to fight this nasty
disease. At the time, I felt I was being left out of a car ride but
soon realized when Zoe arrived home all groggy and sleepy, that was
not the case. Zoe exited treatment a champ and eighteen months
later, my sister is her same old self and cancer free. I am
so thankful to Dr Elmslie and her staff for taking great care of
Zoe so she is here for many more years for us to play
together. “
Zoe is a very smart girl and was very determined to remove the
bandages we placed on her right hind leg to protect the site and
promote healing once radiation treatments were completed. For
most patients, the radiation site is fully healed by 4 weeks post
treatment. While it took almost 8 weeks, and some real
ingenuity on the part of the family and our Oncology staff,
together we were able to get Zoe through the healing process so she
could resume active play with her sister.
October 2011 Patient of the Month: Bud
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Bud’s family shares their story; “Bud is a
wonderful 6 year old Labrador Retriever mix who we adopted 5 years
ago from the Table Mountain Animal Shelter. He was neglected
by his previous owners and was very underweight when we adopted
him, but thrived in his new home with us. Bud is a great dog
who is very affectionate, loves to play with his toys, and play in
his doggie pool. Bud began limping in May 2010. Our
family veterinarian diagnosed bone cancer from an x-ray of the leg,
and then biopsy results confirmed the diagnosis of
osteosarcoma. We were given a dire prognosis, that Bud only
had 3-4 months to live even with treatment. We were referred,
by a friend, to Dr. Elmslie and the VCS. After our
consultation with Dr. Elmslie, we were advised that Bud undergo
amputation followed by treatment with chemotherapy. Given
Bud’s good health, he was expected to have a good quality of life
after treatment. Now, a year and a half later, Bud is
still alive a kicking. He may have 3 legs, but his
cancer is in remission and he can do anything he could do with 4
legs, and has a great quality of life. We are so
grateful to have Bud in our lives.”
September 2011 Patient of the Month Oscar
Oscar presented to our Oncology department in November
2008. Abdominal ultrasound and endoscopy lead to the
diagnosis of lymphoma in the wall of his stomach. Oscar’s
family shares their story, “In February of 2007, I
was searching for a very special gift for my daughter,
Claudia, when I found Oscar. He was a beautiful black
standard poodle puppy. I brought Oscar home on
Valentines Day and Claudia hasn't been the same since then!
Oscar was diagnosed with Lymphoma in his stomach just before his
2nd birthday. It was devastating for our family. Oscar
spent about 6 months being loved and petted by all
of his family members and friends while he went through
treatment with a multi-drug chemotherapy protocol. After his
cancer went into remission he slowly gained strength and
energy. At 3 years old we suddenly had a rambunctious puppy
on our hands! Not a day goes by when we don't look at him and
feel blessed to have him in our lives. He is one of the
sweetest most loving dogs I have ever seen. Oscar loves to
sit in the laps of anyone who will take on a 65-pound lap
dog! He likes to sleep in late and won't think about eating
his food until he has received at least 5 minutes of constant
petting. My daughter, Claudia, can't walk through a room
without stopping to pet Oscar and tell me that I need to look at
"the cutest thing in the world"! Claudia tells me that his
best features are his eyes, face, floppy ears and of course his
feet! In our eyes Oscar has a magical quality that
makes most people who meet him, love him! My
daughter does not recognize the fact she is an only child
because she has two beautiful poodle brothers, Oscar and
Oliver! It warms my heart everyday when I see Claudia playing
with Oscar and Oliver and the joy they bring into her life.
Thank you to all the staff at VCS and VRCC for giving us this
time with Oscar. We don't take any of it for granted!”
August 2011 Patient of the Month: Honey Bear
Honey Bear is an 11-year-old spayed female Pomeranian who was
presented to our Oncology department at VRCC in February 2009 with
a two-week history of decreased energy. Diagnostic testing
confirmed the diagnosis of multiple myeloma affecting her liver,
spleen and bone marrow. Treatment with intravenous and oral
chemotherapy was initiated immediately. Within one month of
beginning treatment, Honey Bear's cancer was in complete
remission. Treatment with low dose oral chemotherapy has been
continued to maintain remission of the cancer. Honey Bear's
family reports, " Honey Bear has always been our valiant
watchdog. Even as a puppy, she would assume her watching
position on the back of the chair by the window. I knew
something was wrong with her when she no longer cared about her
watchdog duties. Thanks to Dr. Elmslie and the staff at VRCC,
her cancer is in remission. Honey Bear is back performing her
watchdog duties with renewed enthusiasm."
July 2011 Patient of the Month: Fergie
Fergie's owners share their story, "Our Franklin Ferguson
(Fergie) was from, what we later found out to be, a puppy-mill.
He was so tiny and sick that we believed the breeder would
have put him down if WE didn't take him. He weighed only 9
lbs at 8 weeks. With love and luck he grew to 140 lbs and became a
strong playful protector.
Fergie was approaching his 6th birthday when we
noticed a lump on his rear leg. In a week it grew to golf
ball size and we took him into our Vets at Indian Tree in
Arvada. They took a biopsy and booked us a Monday morning
appointment with their Director of Medicine Tom Adducci, who
immediately took off the tumor and sent it in for testing. Within
days the results came in confirming an incompletely removed soft
tissue sarcoma. Dr. Adducci recommended we take Fergie to
what he referred to as the best Oncology department in the State,
VRCC and Dr Elmslie.
Dr Elmslie moved swiftly and with compassion as she laid out our
options. The choices were limited as Great Danes are all legs
and removing the leg at his age wasn't recommended and the odds
were against him living another six months without action. Our
choice was radiation. It was costly as it included 18 treatments
over the course of one month but to us, there was no choice.
It was 18 mornings of being lifted onto a table, anesthesia,
breathing tubes, and recovery. By the third week, Fergie was trying
to climb on the table himself. The staff was there every
morning with smiles on their faces, calming and talking to Fergie,
and us, at every step. Through snowstorms and below zero
temperatures they never allowed us lose hope.
Here we are, 19 months later, and our Ferguson is getting
stronger and more playful with every passing day. The fur on his
leg never turned black again, but it grew back white, boastful as a
patch of honor."
June 2011 Patient of the Month: Roxy
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Roxy's owner shares their story "Roxy came into my life when she
was one year old, after being neglected by her original
owners. Right before her 2nd birthday I noticed a large bump
on her tongue. Roxy's family vet suspected trauma, but after
antibiotics did not help, a biopsy was done. I received a dreadful
call that Roxy had a grade two mast cell tumor on her tongue.
I was referred to VRCC where Dr. Elmslie evaluated Roxy. I
was told that this was a very difficult cancer. I weighed all
options for treatment very carefully to ensure that Roxy's quality
of life would never be sacrificed. It seemed best to go with
surgery to try to remove as much of the cancer as possible without
impairing Roxy's ability to eat or drink. Within just a
few hours of surgery, Roxy had adapted to having only half of her
tongue. Unfortunately, tumor cells were found at the surgery
edge. To kill the remaining cancer cells, chemotherapy was
the next step. Roxy powered through six months of
chemotherapy and steroids with minimal side effects and decided
that she was not giving up. Roxy was declared in remission by
the end of what felt like the longest year ever. Two months
after Roxy completed chemotherapy, I felt a small bump on Roxy's
back. I wasn't going to take the chance of waiting to see if
it would go away. Once again, right before Roxy's third
birthday, I received the heart breaking call that Roxy had stage II
skin cancer. Dr. Elmslie was confident that we could get a
clean margin and the staff at VRCC and our family clinic assured me
her pain would be minimal. Two surgeries were needed to
completely remove the skin cancer in June 2010 but Roxy has been in
remission ever since. Roxy celebrated her
5th birthday in May 2011. She loves to
play with her little sister, her friends who include several dogs
and cats in the neighborhood and she often sings karaoke for
them. My life would not feel complete without this warm,
loving, good-natured best friend of mine. We participate in
cancer walks all over the country and Roxy helped lead the Canines
Against Cancer Walk in 2010 here in Colorado. Roxy is so
thankful that Dr. Elmslie and her staff at VRCC never gave up on
her and cheered her on throughout her recovery. Roxy's
experience has changed my life and several others around her.
I hope she can inspire more to "Play Strong" and help fight for a
cure against animal cancer!"
May 2011 Patient of the Month: Lila
Our Patient of the Month for May 2011 is Lila, a sweet
12-year-old spayed female Schnauzer. Lila was presented to our
Oncology department in early February 2010, shortly before her
11th birthday, with a biopsy confirmed diagnosis of
a high grade melanoma of the foot pad of her left hind foot.
Because of the location of the tumor on the footpad and the goal to
save Lila's leg, treatment consisted of a combination of surgery
for resection of the tumor and footpad reconstruction by our
Surgery department, followed by a short course of radiation
therapy. Histopathology results confirmed that the tumor was
high grade, with a high probability of spreading, particularly to
the lungs. Most patients with high-grade melanoma do not
survive beyond 6 months, when surgery is the only treatment.
Lila was treated with a combination of a Melanoma vaccine and low
dose chemotherapy to prevent progression of the cancer to the
lungs. 15 months later, Lila remains cancer free and
her quality of life is excellent. Lila's owner shares their
story, "When I first heard from Lila's veterinarian that the tissue
he sent in for examination was a melanoma, I thought all hope was
lost for Lila. You told me during her treatment that I
should not give up hope. The treatment you prescribed had
been proven to have positive results. I put my trust in you
and you gave me so much encouragement. I felt I was as much a
patient as Lila. Thank you from the bottom of my heart."
