A Jack Russell with a massive mouth tumour so big it displaced his front teeth has made a miracle recovery following pioneering treatment. Jack, 13, was taken to an animal hospital suffering from a huge tumour growing on his upper jaw where vets found "one of the hardest cases" they had ever treated.
But after a successful course of specialist electrochemotherapy the life-threatening tumour completely disappeared in a matter of months. Vets said the large mass would have made it very painful for Jack to eat and continued to get worse even after a course of chemotherapy.
A decision was made for Jack to have electrochemotherapy treatment at North Downs Specialist Referrals (NDSR) in Bletchingley, Surrey. Electrochemotherapy delivers electrical pulses to the affected area to enhance the penetration of intravenous chemotherapy into the tumour.
Owner Oli Trowell, of Anerley, South London, was told to brace himself for the worst, but after four treatments Jack has incredibly made a full recovery. Vets have said Jack's recovery was "nothing short of miraculous" following his initial grim prognosis.
Delighted Oli said: “Jack continues to do really well. The huge tumour had completely disappeared after his final treatment, which was amazing to us given the poor outlook initially.
“We thought Christmas 2021 would be our last with Jack, but more than a year on I haven't seen any return of the tumour. He's in really good shape and we’re so thankful to NDSR for all their care and support.”
NDSR’s oncology specialist Katherine Smallwood said: “Jack was suffering from a massive oral tumour which dramatically affected his upper jaw. The tumour had grown to such an extent it had replaced much of the bone of the front part of his upper jaw.
“Jack’s upper incisor teeth just wobbled freely because the bone no longer supported them. It must have been very painful when he tried to eat.
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“It was too large and extensive to contemplate surgery, so initially we tried the regular oral chemotherapy approach, but the tumour just got worse and suddenly began bleeding a lot. We therefore switched to electrochemotherapy, a treatment that delivers electrical pulses to the affected area to enhance the penetration of intravenous chemotherapy into the tumour.
“After Jack’s first dose, the tumour actually enlarged slightly, but after he had completed his course of four treatments it had disappeared. This was truly lifesaving therapy and the fact he remains so well so long after treatment is fantastic. It really is a remarkable response and I think it’s an extremely encouraging story for other dog owners whose pets may unfortunately find themselves facing a similar challenge to Jack’s.”
Gerry Polton, hospital director at NDSR, added: “Due to the extent of the tumour, Jack was one of the hardest cases we have treated. It was nothing short of miraculous to see how the non-cancerous tissue persisted after treatment but the tumour tissue disappeared, leaving Jack with an almost perfectly-formed new upper jaw.”
