Around January of 2022, I noticed that my little mixed breed terrier's left leg had a little bump close to her hip. I continued to monitor the lump for a few months and noticed that it slowly began to grow in size - a hallmark of cancerous lumps and bumps. No longer thinking it was a harmless lipoma, I brought her to oncology specialists at LSU School of Veterinary Medicine where they were able to perform a fine needle aspirate procedure to take a sample of cells from the mass and look at them under a microscope. Unfortunately, the results came back positive for soft tissue sarcoma. Soft tissue sarcoma is an umbrella term for many different types of malignant tumors of connective tissue. The first order of business for Bippy was to take x-rays of her chest and leg to ensure that the cancer had not metastasized to the lungs, which is the first area of invasion by sarcomas. Her x-rays came back clear, which luckily makes her a candidate for a mass removal surgery that will hopefully remove the entirety of the tumor from her leg and prevent future malignancy.

Hearing this diagnosis of a dangerous cancer for my childhood best friend was upsetting and scary, especially by myself as a student far from home. However, we are lucky that we have options that will enable Bippy to continue living a happy and healthy life.

Donations to this fundraiser will entirely go toward paying for Bippy's medical bills, which include hospital visits to oncology specialists, x-rays, blood work, soft tissue surgery consultations, mass removal surgery, an overnight stay in the ICU, and post-operative care. Every bit counts and we are so thankful to each and every one of you!