Physical exam revealed that Fudgy had numerous tumors along both of her mammary chains (breast area). Despite her age, Fudgy is an active and very playful dog! She was noted to have some dental disease and also a heart murmur as other significant findings on examination.

Fudgy was diagnosed with breast tumors, most likely cancerous tumors because of the multiple locations and rapid growth. Her owners elected to pursue surgical treatment for her disease dependant upon the outcome of her pre-surgical testing. Great news was that Fudgy's bloodwork was 100% normal! --like that of a young dog! Her survey x-rays showed no evidence of spread of her cancer to other parts of her body. Based on these findings, PHil and Gerry elected to pursue agressive surgery to remove the tumors from Fudgy's breast area. This meant that Fudgy needed to have a "radical Mastectomy"--a procedure where all of the mammary glands are removed surgically.

It is important to mention that breast cancer is a preventable disease in dogs at a young age. Dogs that are spayed before their 1st heat cycle have less than a 1% incicence of breast tumors later in life. Dogs that are spayed before their 2nd heat cycle have an 8% incidence of breast tumors later in life. Dogs spayed after their 2nd heat cycle, or those that are unspayed have a 26% incidence of breast tumor development. THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION FOR SPAYING YOUR DOG BEFORE IT'S FIRST HEAT CYCLE--which can occur as young as 6 months of age!.

Fudgy underwent major surgery to treat her condition. Surgery required several hours to be completed, and Fudgy received intravenous supportive fluids and antibiotics during the procedure. Surgery went well, but recovery was rough. Fudgy was weak and painful for several days following. She received narcotic pain medications through a patch on the skin for several days along with pain medication in pill form. It took about a week for Fudgy to gain back her strength and appetite, but after that she made tremendous recovery. She developed several areas of dead tissue along her extensive incisions where the blood supply was poor due to the large amount of skin that needed to be removed. These areas were managed with topical antibiotics and daily cleansing.

Several weeks post surgery, Fudgy is doing awesome! Her wounds are 95% healed and she is active and doing great! It is remarkable that at her age (which would be about 90 years old for a person) Fudgy was so strong in battling her disease! You're an awesome dog Fudgy!! We're proud of you!