Mitzy

13-year-old Mitzy needed PDSA's help after a large lump was causing her a lot of discomfort.

When a lump continued to grow on Mitzy, a 13-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Shauna (26, from Crewe) looked to PDSA to help her precious pet.

Shauna said about Mitzy: "She’s been the heart and soul of our family her entire life, a whopping 13 and a half years.

"Her favourite game is to slowly empty her food bowl, mouthful by mouthful, onto the floor, pick out her favourite biscuits, and leave the rest for her two doggy siblings. She also loves to bury herself as deep as she can get under all her blankets to have her daytime naps.

“She gives the most amazing cuddles and love, especially when you're having a bad day – it's like she knows. She has a sweet, gentle nature and is fantastic around children. Mitzy has been – and always will be! – so much more than a dog. We adore her."

When the lump appeared on Mitzy's tummy area, Shauna became increasingly concerned.

She explained: "I noticed a small cyst-like lump on Mitzy's tummy. At first, I wasn't overly worried, but when it grew, I booked an appointment at PDSA so someone could take a look."

PDSA Vet, Verity Cuthbert, said: "Not all lumps or bumps are cause for concern; in many cases, they're non-cancerous or benign lumps such as lipomas (fatty lumps) that show up and cause dogs no harm. Shauna closely monitored Mitzy's lump, and when she noticed it growing in size, she did the right thing by booking an appointment."

At Stoke PDSA Pet Hospital, the vets carefully examined Mitzy's lump. The option of surgery to remove the lump was discussed. However, Shauna was concerned about whether such an operation was right for Mitzy at her age. Shauna opted to keep a very close eye on the lump in case it continued to grow or change in any way and took Mitzy home with pain relief to keep her comfortable.

Unfortunately, the lump continued to grow rapidly in the following weeks. Mitzy became very uncomfortable due to its size, so a worried Shauna brought her back to the Pet Hospital for another appointment.

She added: "What was once a small lump had quickly turned into the size of a grapefruit, and we were really concerned. Mitzy was drained of energy and became irritated as the lump rubbed against the floor. She wasn't able to do much apart from sleep. It was really getting to her.

"She's the eldest of our three dogs and the matriarch of our family. Her low mood had a knock-on effect on our other two dogs. They wouldn't leave her side; I think they were just as worried about her as I was."

Verity said: "The second time we saw Mitzy, the lump was much larger. Shauna agreed that the best way to improve Mitzy's quality of life and relieve her discomfort would be to surgically remove the lump under a general anaesthetic. Because of where the lump was and the fact it had grown so quickly, we were concerned that it could be an aggressive cancer, so we X-rayed Mitzy’s chest before surgery to check for any spread to her lungs. Thankfully, the X-rays were all clear."

Mitzy's scheduled surgery to remove the lump went well, and she recovered from the anaesthetic without any problems. She went home later that day with two types of pain relief.

However, Mitzy returned to the Pet Hospital a few days later after showing signs of an infection in her wound. The vet team examined Mitzy to assess her wound and prescribed antibiotics to treat the problem.

Thankfully, a little over a week later, Mitzy was recovering well and was signed off from further treatment.

Shauna added: "We had never used PDSA before, although we knew they existed because of their social media and TV ads. But had they not been there to help, Mitzy would have passed away. When the lump continued to grow, the vet told us that if it went untreated at this stage, it could have burst at any moment. This mass bursting would likely have meant we would’ve had to let Mitzy go.

"The service and care given by PDSA was faultless – from the online booking system to the conversations I had with the receptionists and, most importantly, the incredible vet team that saved her life. Every staff member we encountered was friendly, professional, and highly knowledgeable. Their attentiveness, care, and passion they showed instantly put us at ease during a scary time.

"We owe everything to PDSA; they will always hold a special place in our hearts. The words 'thank you' will never be enough."

Total cost of Mitzy's treatment: £743.70

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