Cheeky Joey had has right lung removed but is back to being a loveable ‘little monster’.
Joey's Joy After Overcoming Lung Removal
4 months ago 
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A cheeky West Highland Terrier dog from Essex who had a lung removed due to an enormous tumour is back to being a loveable ‘little monster’.
Twelve-year-old Joey’s amazing recovery has been possible thanks to vets at Linnaeus-owned Davies Veterinary Specialists near Hitchin in Hertfordshire.
The first signs Joey was seriously ill was when he suffered a coughing bout which lasted more than an hour-and-a-half and required an emergency vet to help him.
Joey’s owners Steve and Jill Catley, from Colchester, said: “Only eight weeks previously, Joey had climbed to the top of Arthur’s Seat which overlooks Edinburgh.
“When we found out he had a mass on his right lung we were devastated, obviously thinking the worst. We thought that was it – that we would be losing our boy.
“We wondered if we would ever see him again as he was led away across the car park at Davies because in himself he seemed absolutely fine.”
A CT scan at Davies, where Joey has also received treatment for diabetes, Cushing’s disease and cataracts, unfortunately confirmed he had an extremely large tumour filling almost his entire right lung.
Joey’s operation was performed by soft tissue surgeon Krizia Compagnone.
Krizia said: “The mass was massive and occupied almost fully the right lung. It’s very uncommon to perform removal of a whole lung and it is a very challenging operation.
“Joey was managed extremely well by the whole team. His condition and the surgery he needed meant that a multidisciplinary team effort, also including oncology, was necessary for the outcome we had.
“In particular, our anaesthesia team managed Joey before, during surgery and post-operatively with extraordinary care and expertise.
“He then recovered in intensive care and our nurses and vet colleagues looked after him and made sure he was comfortable and stable throughout.”
Following the successful surgery, Steve and Jill, and daughters Amy and Charlotte, added: “Joey is doing really well. He’s a bit slower, his walks are a bit shorter and he’s a bit more obstinate and grumpy, but he can still give the cats of the street a good chase given half a chance!
“We honestly can’t thank Krizia and her team enough. We can’t fault the care we’ve had and continue to receive from Davies for all his health issues.”
Krizia added: “Joey had an outstanding recovery from such a big surgery. He is a real little fighter and has been a proper champion throughout. Unfortunately, the tumour we removed was malignant and had spread to the local lymph nodes.
“However, we are so glad we could give him some more quality time to spend with his beautiful family who love him so incredibly much.”
For more information about Davies and the wide range of specialist-led services it offers, visit https://vetspecialists.co.uk/ or search for them on Facebook or LinkedIn.
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