A couple of bravehearts

27/07/2017

BelleBelle is a beautiful 6-year-old tortie who came to Village Vet with vomiting back in February 2016. Luckily her quick-thinking vet and dedicated owners promptly decided to send Belle to London Vet Specialists. Unfortunately, she was diagnosed with lymphoma, a type of cancer, in her stomach. The specialist vet was able to advise on the best possible chemotherapy regimen for Belle, which she was then able to receive at her regular vet clinic in Southgate. While there is no cure available for Belle, we have been able to manage her illness for over a year now, and she has had the most wonderful quality of life at home as a result.

Owners are often understandably distressed to hear the ‘C’ word, by which we mean both ‘cancer’ and ‘chemotherapy’. However, it is important to realise that chemotherapy in pets is quite different to that in people. We use a very low dose of medicine to prevent the side effects that are more typical of chemotherapy given to people. This maintains the best quality of life possible for pets with cancer. This means no hair loss, nausea or lethargy. As you can see from the photo, Belle is thoroughly enjoying life!Jolene

Jolene is an 8-year-old cat with the most striking green eyes! Another stunner! Like Belle, Jolene’s pet parents noticed she was vomiting, which ultimately led to a diagnosis of lymphoma. A very large mass was found to be present in her abdomen. Jolene has undergone similar treatment to Belle, and we can no longer feel the mass. She is eating better, her vomiting has reduced and she is also loving life, both at Village Vet and at home! It is still early days for Jolene but with the right treatment we are working to ensure she lives the happiest life possible, for as long as possible.