Beloved pet Patch saved after having 2kg tumour removed

A veterinary centre in Rugby saved the life of a beloved pet dog after removing a tumour which was a fifth of its weight.
Patch NNL-161122-101640001Patch NNL-161122-101640001
Patch NNL-161122-101640001

The operation was performed at the Bilton Veterinary Centre in Rugby and nine-year-old Jack Russell terrier Patch has now made a recovery and is back to his sprightly nature at home in Rugby.

His owner Mrs Joan Berry brought Patch to the vets last month after noticing his tummy was quite swollen and he had lost his usual enthusiasm for walks.

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An ultrasound revealed a large mass around his spleen – a cabbage-sized tumour which weighed around 2kg, a fifth of Patch’s weight.

Patch the nine-year-old Jack Russell TerrierPatch the nine-year-old Jack Russell Terrier
Patch the nine-year-old Jack Russell Terrier

Vets Rose Bolan and Tom Waterworth performed a one-hour operation to remove it, along with support from a nursing team.

Tests then revealed that the mass was benign.

Tom explained: “These cases are relatively common in dogs, we will see maybe five or six a year, but it is more unusual in this breed and size of dog as it is much more common in larger breeds.

“It is rare to get such proportionally large growth.

Patch the nine-year-old Jack Russell TerrierPatch the nine-year-old Jack Russell Terrier
Patch the nine-year-old Jack Russell Terrier

“Sadly, at least 50 per cent of these tumours are actually highly malignant and they carry a very poor prognosis, even after surgery. Whereas in this instance, the prognosis is good as the tumour was benign.

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“While not physically the biggest tumour we have seen in terms of actual weight, it is probably the biggest we have seen in terms of percentage of body weight.”

Mrs Berry said: “As a family we thank Rose and Tom and the vets as a whole from the bottom of our hearts as we could have lost him and we took the chance to have the operation not knowing what was going to happen. He is recovering very well and likes lots of love now. We can’t thank the vets enough they are fantastic.”