A waggy-tailed Golden Retriever has been at the forefront of radical new chemotherapy treatment and has just been voted Pet of the Year by the vets and nurses who helped him on his road to recovery.
When Cabus James from Coldred first visited Burnham House in May 2004 he was a very withdrawn, unhappy dog whose face and body was becoming more and more paralysed. A tumour-like lump (called granulomatous meningioencephalomyelitis) appeared to be growing on his brain and his outlook was very poor indeed. His supportive parents took him for tests and brain scans at the Queen Mother Hospital for Animals at the Royal Veterinary College. That’s where specialist neurologist Dr Cherubini has been working on cutting-edge treatment for patients like Cabus, and when a diagnosis was made the six-year-old dog was able to continue his treatment at Burnham House. Now his progress and his return to a normal way of life will be documented along with other patients` progress in a paper published by the RVC and this inspirational tale will hopefully help other pets around the world.
Jeremy Stattersfield, who oversaw the treatment at his surgery, said “It has been wonderful to watch this weak and wobbly dog with no love of life turn back into the bright, alert pet that Cabus had always been. Now we hope that he has a long and happy life ahead of him.”
“He only has to return to the surgery for his chemotherapy injections but even on those visits he wags his tail and is pleased to see the staff” according to Head Veterinary Nurse Leasa Neame.
The Surgery has treated some inspirational patients over the last year but Leasa adds: “We keep our eye on prospective candidates for Patient of the Year and then suddenly a dog like Cabus comes along who is clearly nose and tail ahead in terms of how he responds to his treatment and his attitude to life. His story seemed desperate and he has survived some tough times but he has been a happy dog and a model patient throughout. The fact that what he has gone through will now help other patients makes us at the surgery and his parents at home very proud indeed.”