Cannelle's emergency, life-saving surgery

As many of you know, I adopted Cannelle, a then-12-year-old Shetland Sheepdog (she turned 13 in June), last January.

Her family, who had her all her life, told me they were moving to an apartment that didn't allow dogs. At the end of the two-hour ride home, I was petting Cannelle, and I felt a lump on her chest (at that time, it was hidden under her fur). It was approximately the size of a tennis ball. I immediately asked her family what it was, and they told me it was "nothing"; that it had been there for two years.

The next day I took Cannelle to the vet for a full examination. If you've ever been a parent of an animal, you undoubtedly know it is difficult to find a thorough and caring vet. The vet told me the lump was a harmless lipoma.

In my heart, I knew this lump was something worse than what Cannelle's family said and what this vet said. I brought Cannelle to a second vet. He took a sample, examined it under a microscope, and told me it was a spindle cell tumour, but not dangerous. That was in March.

My intuition told me this lump was dangerous, despite what he said. In the coming months, I returned to the vet two times to ask him if it was possible to remove it. He dismissed my concerns, telling me to "find a surgeon and ask him."

A lady who lives in my neighbourhood has devoted the better part of her life to rescuing animals. She told me the name of a veterinarian who specializes in ultrasound. Around the end of August, I noticed the lump was growing. I brought Cannelle to the vet this lady recommended and finally, I got Cannelle the help she desperately needed.

He did an ultrasound and told me Cannelle had a soft tissue sarcoma, which is cancer. As a result of Cannelle's age, he said surgery was possible, but it should be a last resort. In this case, it would be critical if the lump filled with so much fluid that it started to leak or bleed. That was on Wednesday, September 21.

On Saturday night, I was tucking Cannelle into her bed to sleep, and I checked the lump to see if it had grown. Upon touching it, I realized it had become much firmer than it had been mere hours ago. By 4 a.m., it was leaking blood.

I immediately contacted the vet, who replied to me despite it being Sunday. He said to have Cannelle there on Monday morning.

I stayed up with Cannelle all night as she suffered from this cancer. While I love my dog, when I adopted her, I talked with myself about my intentions as a first-time dog parent.

"You are doing this for her, not for you," I said to myself.

My goal in adopting Cannelle was to allow her to live out her golden time, whether that be weeks, months, or years, in the best, most fun, most peaceful, most loving way possible.

For that reason, I asked Dr. Louvet — the veterinarian that ultimately saved Cannelle's life — if it was worth it to put Cannelle through surgery. Above all, Cannelle would not suffer, regardless of what that meant for the outcome.

He recommended I consent to a full x-ray for her to make sure there was no cancer anywhere else in her body. We did not want to put her through this, only for her to become sick in the coming months.

I carried her into the x-ray room and she watched me as I walked outside to wait. While standing there I asked Gd to help me make the best decision for Cannelle, even if that meant letting her go.

I was shocked when Dr. Louvet came out of the x-ray room and told me Cannelle had no cancer anywhere else in her body. The next step was to do bloodwork to determine whether Cannelle was fit to undergo surgery. Her bloodwork came back strong.

Cannelle underwent major surgery the following morning. Her incision crosses the space between her arms and, vertically, spans the entire length of her chest.

Less than 24 hours after her operation, she started to walk slowly, and in the days since, she has been doing very well. Her little horsey appetite is back, and I have been carrying her outside and putting her on the grass so she can go to the bathroom. She is on pain medication and antibiotics and has her first follow-up appointment tomorrow (Friday, September 29).

When I adopted Cannelle, I ensured I was in a position to be an excellent mother to her. That meant moving into a warm, safe, clean apartment with space for her to play, having the time and emotional capacity to care for another creature, and being financially secure enough to care for her.

As a full-time student with a modest income, I can still meet and exceed all of Cannelle's needs, but this situation has presented a significant financial challenge. Two of my close friends graciously lent me the money to cover the cost of the surgery (alone, that was $1,300). With all the costs associated with the appointments leading up to an accurate diagnosis (including ultrasound and x-rays), medication, and follow-up appointments, the price quickly amounts to more than $3,500.

I will be real with you: it is not my style to ask for help. But as someone with a profound love for my dog, and perhaps more importantly, as someone who proclaims to believe in the value of community and asking for help when you need it, here I am.

If you choose to help with covering these expenses, I — and especially Cannelle — will be forever grateful.