Clyde
Clyde
is an 8-10 year old black Labrador who lived in an abusive, irresponsible home.
After numerous runaways to my house and many injuries suffered under their care,
I approached the people with an ultimatum—I get Clyde or you get reported. I got
Clyde.
Our first car trip was to the vet where Clyde received the necessary shots and
medical care he had never been exposed to in all his years. A steady, protein
enriched diet, 6 mile a day walks, and long conversations became his new
routine. I make up songs for all my “kids” and he was no exception. His favorite
song is all about how he came to be with us and how he will live happily ever
after.
On one of our morning walks, and as we were greeting his
buddy, Buster, I got tangled up in his leash and stepped on Clyde’s foot.
Unexpectedly, there was much blood and he reacted with great pain. Cleaning it
up when we got home I thought the injury looked far too traumatic to be just a
“stepped on toe.” Off we went to the vet.
The vet felt surgery was necessary as the bone on one of his toes was exposed.
The end of the toe needed to be removed so that enough skin could be gathered to
stitch up the wound. All the while I felt terrible. I had stepped on many a
doggie toe in the past but it had never resulted in this dramatic an outcome.
Clyde breezed through the surgery. The vet, however, was not happy with what he
saw in the portion of the toe that had been removed. The pigment was black, a
condition that is often seen in malignant melanoma. He had it sent to the
pathology lab and 6 days later the report came back positive. Clyde had cancer.
As it turned out, stepping on his toe was the best thing that could have
happened. A tumor had begun to grow under the nail. My stepping on it made it
burst. Had that not occurred, it could have gone undetected.
 Here's
Mr. Clyde trying to sneak a nap on the couch and keep an eye out the
window at the same time. Obviously the nap wins. |
Canine melanoma is an aggressive form of cancer that typically appears in a
dog's mouth, but also may appear in the nail bed, footpad or other areas. In the
past, malignant melanoma in dogs has always been a death sentence. Radiation and
surgery were the only options, very expensive and the results were never
favorable. Most dogs lived 3-6 months and were put down due to the pain and
suffering they endured. My vet was not a specialist so he put me in touch with a
clinic that specialized in cancer in animals.
www.fvarc.com/
Clyde’s appointment was quickly scheduled Clyde was treated better than I have
been with certain physicians. Dr. Cole palpated for any abnormalities—lumps,
swelling, etc., and he relaxed thoroughly under this wonderful massage. She
educated us on what was available in the past, which held little hope. The first
step, however, was to see if and where the cancer had spread. Clyde needed a
chest x-ray and lymph test. If those areas were clear, we had a chance. 40
minutes later, Dr Cole and Clyde were back. The results were a clear chest x-ray
and no lymph abnormalities.
The good news is that there is a very promising vaccine. It’s called the
melanoma vaccine and due to the early stages, Clyde is a very good candidate.
Merial, the world's leading animal health company, gained conditional approval
from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in March of 2007 for this breakthrough
vaccine to treat canine melanoma. This is the first time that the U.S.
government has approved a therapeutic vaccine for the treatment of cancer - in
either animals or humans.
www.amcny.org/technology/melanomavaccine.aspx
It is my belief that Clyde came to me so that he could
live out the rest of his years in peace and surrounded by love. And my job is to
make sure he does. The vaccine was expensive and we worked hard so Clyde could
get what he needed.
T.K. 2009
