Santa Cruz, Galapagos
As a vet, you are commonly faced with strange illnesses or issues that do not come straight out of a text book. Sometimes animals can present with odd conditions while otherwise being very healthy. As the dog cannot tell you much about the symptoms or history, diagnosis and treatment can become quite difficult. Akita was one of those cases.
Akita came into the Galapagos clinic with some strange fluid filled nodules on all four of her legs. After an initial treatment, the nodules shrank for a short period before beginning to grow again. The team tried to drain the nodules without any positive results – they just continued to grow back and then expand in size. As Akita is such a young dog, the team ruled out a number of causes for the nodules which would be more common for older dogs. Instead, the team expected an underlying genetic cause.
Due to this suspicion, the Doctors started Akita on a different treatment; placing drains in the larger nodules and giving additional medical treatment for the underlying cause. The team continued to check up on Akita throughout the treatment, ensuring that the process ran as smoothly as possible.
After the procedure was complete, Akita was behaving almost like a different dog. She had a huge increase in energy and was very happy to see the team – wanting to play and enjoy her freedom of movement with the removal of the large nodules. Akita still has a few smaller nodules on her paws, but with continual check ups and monitoring from the team she is expected to be able to continue to lead her life with all her puppy-like energy.
Animals often face medical issues with no way of telling anyone that they need help. That’s where our team comes in – providing medical attention to those who need it. Help our team continue to give life back to animals around the world. Donate today.