Reese, a 7 year old Chihuahua, was brought to his family vet because of raspy, difficult breathing.

He had a walnut-sized mass (in an 8 lb Chihuahua!) on his neck, near the thyroid glands.

Reese’s vet logically suspected that the mass was pushing on his windpipe. Surgery was recommended to remove and biopsy the mass.

Prior to surgery, chest X-rays were taken to make sure there was no spreading to the lungs. Blood work was normal, and it was decided that Reese was a good candidate for anesthesia and surgery.

I was called in to Barton Heights Veterinary Hospital (www.bartonheights.com ) to remove the mass

Surgery was successful. Reese recovered uneventfully and his breathing improved immediately following surgery, as soon as he woke up from anesthesia.

A week later, the biopsy confirmed that the mass was thyroid cancer (carcinoma), which had been removed it in its entirety. This is not a good disease, but we had bought time and improved Reese’s quality of life.

Reese’s owner was rewarded by a happy pup who can enjoy life again.

Phil Zeltzman, DVM, DACVS, CVJ, Fear Free Certified

Dr. Phil Zeltzman is a traveling veterinary surgeon in Pennsylvania & New Jersey. An award-winning author, he loves to share his adventures in practice along with information about vet medicine and surgery that can really help your pets. Dr. Zeltzman specializes in orthopedic, neurologic, cancer, and soft tissue surgeries for dogs, cats, and small exotics. By working with local family vets, he offers the best surgical care, safest anesthesia, and utmost pain management to all his patients. Sign up to get an email when he updates his blog, and follow him on Facebook, too!