An extremely rare surgery at a Cambridgeshire animal hospital to remove an entire left lung with cancer has given a much-loved Poodle extra valuable time to spend with his grateful owners.

Nine-year-old Harley was successfully operated on at Linnaeus-owned DWR Veterinary Specialists near Six Mile Bottom.

The surgery is so rare only a few reports of it exist in veterinary literature, and it also carries a high risk of potential complications.

However, Harley’s owner, Molly Norman from Thurton near Norwich, is loving every day with Harley who continues to do well some nine months after the operation.

Molly said: “Harley’s really good now and we go on long walks, which he really enjoys.

“We realise that every day counts, so we’re making the most of it.”

The first signs that there was something wrong with Harley was regular coughing and it was after blood tests that he was referred to DWR Veterinary Specialists.

Unfortunately, a CT scan showed the presence of a large mass occupying the whole left chest cavity and part of his right chest.

Daniela Murgia, specialist in soft tissue surgery at DWR Veterinary Specialists, who operated on Harley assisted in his care by internal medicine resident Mireia Pascual Moreno, said: “The challenge with Harley was that the tumour involved the whole left lung and therefore removal of the entire lung on the left side was necessary.

“It’s a rare procedure but it went as planned and Harley had a smooth recovery. We’re all very happy that he’s back to enjoying life and spending quality time with his owner.”

Harley’s owner, Molly, added: “The team at DWR has been amazing and continue to be in touch to see how Harley is getting on. My thanks go to them for making it possible to have Harley in my life for as long as possible.”

DWR Veterinary Specialists offers specialist-led care in anaesthesia and analgesia, dentistry, cardiology, dermatology, diagnostic imaging, diagnostic pathology, emergency and critical care, internal medicine, interventional radiology, neurology and neurosurgery, oncology, ophthalmology, oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthopaedics, physiotherapy and soft tissue surgery. 

For more information on DWR Veterinary Specialists, visit www.dickwhitereferrals.com or search for DWR Veterinary Specialists on social media. 

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