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Patient of the Month

“Duke” Hartley

By January 1, 2013 One Comment

Duke Hartley was a handsome 6 and a half year-old male vizsla, who came to Oak Animal Hospital for an abdominal ultrasound with Dr. Dhillon. Previous to coming to our clinic, he had consumed a large amount of candy and chocolate with the wrappers on, and had passed an obstruction at another veterinary clinic in town. Since the incident, the owners had noticed a decrease in appetite and weight. They were concerned and took him to the vet again, where a mass was felt in his abdomen. Radiographs were performed and interpreted, and an abdominal ultrasound was recommended. This is where our journey with Duke began.

 Dr. Dhillon performed the abdominal ultrasound, which showed masses in the small intestine. An exploratory abdominal surgery was then recommended to further examine each organ in the abdomen. During the surgery, the masses were removed, and tissue was sent to the lab to be interpreted. Duke recovered fast after surgery, and was back to himself in no time. 

The results came back and had indicated lymphoma (a type of cancer that involves the cells of the immune system), although Duke was continuing to do remarkably well at home. Unfortunately a few weeks after surgery, Duke had started to exhibit several signs of feeling unwell. A repeat ultrasound was done, and it was likely that there was a recurrence and would’ve needed to undergo another surgery. His caring owners made the tough decision to put him to sleep peacefully. Duke’s loving spirit will live on in the hearts of those who had the pleasure of knowing him.

Rest in peace, Duke.

One Comment

  • megan jones says:

    I love this photo of him, he was such a handsome man! Thank you for sharing the best of him with our family at Oak who only briefly had the pleasure of knowing his loving nature.

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