Nine-year-old golden retriever Claude was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2018, and has been through years of gruelling treatments to try and save him.
Part of this therapy included a course of radiotherapy on a machine normally only used humans, which his owners and vets believed would go some way to reducing the tumour and prolonging Claude’s life.
After hearing about a new machine called a ‘linear accelerator’ for radiotherapy treatment at The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Edinburgh, his owners Anita and Ian Greenfield asked RVC and Southfields Veterinary specialists to investigate and were fortunate enough to get Claude the treatment.
This new machine is extremely precise and is able to treat very accurately with a treatment technique known as ‘stereotactic’ and due to its marked precision spares the normal tissues surrounding the tumour and focuses radiation in the mass.
Claude has now finished his course of treatment, and to celebrate its success of, the vets threw him a party, with the cute dog beaming with his party hat on.
Although Claude isn’t quite out of the woods, he is now expected to get some extra time running around the fields he loves in Hadley, Herts, with his doting owners.
Anita said: ‘When we first got his diagnosis in 2018 we were absolutely devastated. Claude has been with us since he was nine weeks old and has always been a joy.
‘We had a read about a new machine for radiotherapy treatment in Edinburgh so asked the RVC and Southfields to investigate.
‘Fortunately, Edinburgh were willing to treat Claude with their new machine, the only machine of its type in veterinary use in the UK at the moment – the NHS has more than 100.
‘We had to go up for 10 days so he could have a CT scan and they could plan the treatment and then treat.
‘Now we are just hoping that Claude gets more time to have fun meeting old and new friends, walks in new places & learning to live without his sight – which he lost due to the tumour.’
The lucky dog had a big party when his treatment finished by the veterinary team that treated him for the tumour with radiotherapy.
Claudes Vet, Juan Carlos Serra, a specialist in Oncology and Radiation Oncology, said: ‘Claude was one of the first to be treated with a stereotactic technique in the UK.
‘It has been an absolute pleasure having Claude with us today, he is such a handsome boy and we will miss him loads.
‘He has been an excellent patient and has tolerated his treatment very well. It is difficult to predict how effective will treatment be for Claude. But we are hopeful that we will at least stabilise the tumour for a few months, although it could potentially also shrink in size.’
Now, Claude can rest easy knowing he has some extra time and his fighting spirit is inspiring everyone he meets.
Anita added: ‘He’s such an inspiration to us and also other people who have contacted us going through similar situations.
‘Seeing him having a happy life is encouraging for others who have also had their lives torn apart by devastating news.’
Do you have a story you’d like to share?
Get in touch at [email protected].
Source: Read Full Article
