04/02/2025
🐾 Keira's Tail-tastic Tumour Journey! 🐾
Woof Woof fur-friends! 🐕
It’s me, Keira! I’m a 5 year-old Staffy in who my dad calls his sweet princess, but most of all, his brave soldier! But why do you ask? I’ve got a little story to share! So bring your favourite pop-corn and puppachinos, and sit tight for a tail-blazing adventure!
Once upon a time, I noticed (more my dad) that there was an annoying lump that was not going away on the base of my tail. My dad got a little worried (okay, a lot worried) and brought me to Dr. Tony at Gawler Veterinary Services.
After some poking and prodding (not so fun, but worth it!), Dr Tony suspected the lump could be either be a fatty lump or mast cell tumour. Yikes! 😳 But don’t worry friends, my dad and Dr. Tony weren’t going to let this lump win.
First, we did a Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) – that’s just a fancy way of saying they took a tiny sample to check what it was. I swear, I wasn’t a menace and sat very still for Dr Tony! Well, guess what? It was indeed a mast cell tumour! Not the best news, but we weren’t panicking. 💪
Now, the tricky part: the tumour was in a super awkward spot on my tail, making surgery a bit of a challenge. However, we had a plan!💡 Dr Tony was super smart like me, and recommended Stelfonta! A special injection that targets and destroys the tumour cells. How cool is this!
However, before I could get my injection, I had to take Prednisolone (a steroid) for two days then for the next 8 days after the injection. My humans made sure I took the meds like a pro. 🐾 Why? Because this medicine helps stop any unnecessary drama from the tumour while it’s getting destroyed and saying its final goodbye! ✨
Finally, the big day arrived—Stelfonta Day! 🎉 Dr. Tony gave me the injection right into the lump, and we started the healing process! 🐕💉 He warned my dad that things might get a little weird and ugly before it looks pretty ✨ (I do like to be kept on them toes).
Here’s what the next few weeks looked like for me:
First 4 hours: Swelling at the site. Not so cute, but expected.
By Day 7: The tumour started to blacken, shrink, and discharge. Yep, it wasn’t pretty for the boys, but totally normal!
By Day 21: I was looking good as new! My wound almost healed, and I’m back to my wagging tail and zoomies! 🐾✨
Now, I’m back to doing what I love: chasing my tail, snuggling with my humans, and living my best life! 🐶 My dad has sent Dr. Tony updates, and has said I’m looking paw-some—my tail’s got extra wag now! 🎉
So remember, if you find a lump on your pet, don’t wait! Get it checked out early! Thanks for reading my tail-tastic story!
Catch you on the next adventure, much love Keira! 🐾
