A Georgia family is paw-sitively over the moon after their precious pup beat cancer!
When veterinarians found a tumor on 8-year-old pocket boxer Dixie’s front foot, the initial outlook was grim, according to 11Alive.
Dog mom Ally Heck was devastated to learn the heartbreaking news about her beloved dog’s health — especially since Dixie was the family favorite.
“We have three dogs, but she’s by far the favorite. We adopted her from Atlanta Boxer Rescue when she was six months old. And she’s phenomenal. She’s the best dog you’ve ever owned,” Heck told the outlet.
Multiple vets came back to the family with different drastic options for treating Dixie’s cancer.
“Our normal vet saw it and said we really can’t do anything. It’s a shock. So, we went to a specialist who said, amputate her leg,” added Heck.
But those answers didn’t sit well with the pet parent.
Heck’s family took it upon themselves to research alternative cancer treatment options to save their furry family member. That’s when they stumbled upon Stelfonta, a drug derived from a plant in the Australian rainforest — and they were able to track down a vet who was willing to try the new treatment.
“He said I’ve never heard of that, but I’ll do it. And I think he was the first general vet in our state to be able to do it,” Heck said, per 11Alive.
And it turned out successful. Heck said within a few weeks, Dixie’s tumor fell off.
“It’s been tested multiple times, and it’s not cancer. The cancer is dead. It’s gone,” said Heck.
Veterinarian Dr. Lauren Johnson explained to 11Alive, “This drug is unique in its mode of action, in that it targets those cancer cells specifically. So, once we inject that drug into the tumor, it immediately causes an inflammatory effect that causes the immune system to attack those cancer cells.”
Dixie didn’t even have to be put to sleep to receive the single injection of Stelfonta, which was relatively inexpensive and effective compared to other treatment options. It cost the family less than $1000 to save their playful pooch.
H/t : People.com
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