Advocating for George: Veterinary team gets help through AVMF REACH Program™

George, a beloved Miniature Schnauzer, was initially admitted to the oncology service at BluePearl Pet Hospital with suspected inoperable bilateral apocrine gland anal sac adenocarcinomas (AGASACA) and regional lymph node involvement. There was a looming threat of further metastasis due to the proximity of the lymph nodes to large vessels within the abdomen. Despite the grim outlook, George’s medical team decided to pursue surgery to provide him with the best possible outcome.

The surgery was successful in removing the anal gland masses and lymph nodes. The treatment plan followed up with adjunctive therapy of palliative radiation and chemotherapy. George did amazingly well, and he is now four months post-radiation.

Unfortunately, George began to experience late side effects of a rectal stricture (narrowing), causing difficulty in defecation. Further tests revealed abnormal scarring/adhesions near the rectum/distal colon. Although George seems better, his owners are struggling to provide the necessary funding for further diagnostics and possible treatment.

George’s medical team is advocating for the owners who want to provide the best quality of care for their beloved dog. The extensive treatments that George has previously had put a significant burden on his owners financially. However, further diagnostics and possible treatment are required to manage George’s current condition.

“We are advocating for our owners that want to provide the highest quality of care,” shared Dr. Yee. George’s case reflects the difficult choices that pet owners face when dealing with medical emergencies. By providing financial assistance to George’s owners, we can alleviate their burden, giving them and George the opportunity to receive the best medical care possible.

The AVMF REACH program exists to help veterinarians provide the best care for all animals, at any time and in any town. We can’t do it without the generous gifts from those who want the best for all animals, regardless of their owner’s financial means. If you’d like to support this program with a tax-deductible gift, select “REACH Animal Care Program” from the “I want to support” dropdown menu on the gift form.

Thank you for helping us REACH as many animals in need as possible!

This program is supported in part by PURINA through the ProPlan Veterinary Support Mission.