Dandy’s Radiation Treatment

A couple of weeks ago Dandy went to the vet for a routine 6-month examination. The vet had difficulty hearing her heart with a stethoscope and her left eye was bulging a little. Concerned that based on the symptoms Dandy could have some kind of mass in her chest, x-rays and bloodwork were taken. Based on the results, we were referred to the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph for a consult and CT scan last week. On Friday Dandy had the CT scan and a sample taken which has confirmed a mass (see second photo).

Dandy was anesthetized for the CT scan. She stopped breathing a few times and the whole procedure was touch and go. When she woke up, she was circling and had a slight head tilt. They ended up keeping Dandy overnight on both Friday and Saturday for observation. Her circling stopped and the head tilt subsided. The symptoms are believed to be from a vascular stroke from when she stopped breathing.

She also developed an ulcer in her right eye related to the bulging and the procedure.

We drove to Guelph today to visit Dandy with Milton and her favourite orange blanket. She was much improved and was able to go home with us.

To treat the mass (thymoma), Dandy will have a series of radiation treatments beginning on Tuesday to try to shrink it. The first radiation session on Tuesday is going to be a big hurdle based on what happened on Friday when she was anesthetized. The hope is that the mass can be reduced significantly as it is currently pushing her other organs like her heart and lungs.  The mass has pushed her heart out of its normal space and into the thoracic cavity.

We are absolutely devastated at the news and developments. Dandy is only 3 years old and has already faced so much adversity in her short life. She was surrendered to a shelter as a baby with a splayed leg and a past pelvic fracture.

If the radiation is successful in shrinking the mass, we are told she could live another 1-2 years. We are hoping our special girl can overcome the odds as we are not ready to say goodbye.