A FAMILY pet from Cornwall has undergone surgery to remove a tumour weighing 3.36kg – one of the largest his vet has ever seen.

Ten-year-old cocker spaniel Dexter was rushed to Luxstowe Vets in Liskeard by his worried owners after he suffered a fit and collapsed at home in Torpoint.

Blood tests and an ultrasound scan revealed there was an enormous mass within the dog’s abdomen and he was immediately taken into surgery.

Vet Tom Beale said the tumour was attached to Dexter’s spleen and, because it was so big, he needed to perform a splenectomy and remove the entire organ.

Tom said: “When I examined Dexter, his tummy did look slightly extended but we were amazed he was carrying a tumour the size of a football within his abdomen. 

“Dexter can be nervous and tenses up his muscles when examined so I hadn’t been able to feel his tummy well, but the mass could be clearly seen on the ultrasound.

“Looking at the scan, it wasn’t possible to tell whether it was operable, but Dexter’s owners gave us permission to do exploratory surgery and we were able to go back to them with the good news that the tumour could be removed.

“The tumour involved practically the whole spleen, which was why we elected to perform a splenectomy. It was major surgery, but thanks to the electro-surgical equipment our practice benefits from, we could progress swiftly and the operation took just over an hour. Dexter was even able to go home that evening because he gets very worried when he’s away from home and we decided that he’d be happier with his family and provided sufficient pain relief to keep him comfortable.”

The mass removed from Dexter’s abdomen weighed 3.36kg – roughly the same as a house brick and measured 27cmx23cm. Luckily, tests showed that the tumour, which was identified as a nodular lymphoid hyperplasia was not malignant and Dexter has gone on to make an excellent recovery.

Tom added: “We do see tumours in dogs, certainly in senior pets, but this is certainly one of the biggest I’ve ever seen in 20 years of veterinary medicine. 

“I think I have only seen one that was bigger, which was removed from a much larger dog. 

“These tumours can grow very quickly, which is why it’s always important to contact your vet as soon as possible if you have any worries about your pet’s health.”

Back home with owners James and Helen Tupper and their 13-year-old son Charlie, Dexter has been enjoying a new lease of life.

Mr Tupper, a postman, said Dexter, who was a rescue pup that the family adopted when he was three months old, is like a different dog since the operation and has praised the Luxstowe Vets team for the care they gave to his pet.

Mr Tupper said: “We had noticed Dexter had put on a little bit of weight, but we had no idea he had such a huge tumour inside him and it came as a bit of a shock.  

“The team at Luxstowe Vets were brilliant when we took Dexter in after he’d collapsed and they acted very quickly. The explained everything clearly and gave us all the options, but we knew we wanted to go ahead with surgery if there was a chance the tumour could be removed. Dexter is a very special dog and we wouldn’t want to be without him. 

“Since the operation Dexter is a much happier and livelier dog. As well as not having to carry such a huge tumour around, his arthritis medication has been able to work properly and he’s a lot more mobile and enjoying life so much more.”