Meet Maisy and Wally, two Central Coast dogs who are finalists and possibly in line to take out a national competition thanks to the treatment they received at the Small Animal Specialist Hospital (SASH) at Tuggerah.
Both Maisy, an 11-year-old Mastiff cross, and Wally, an eight-year-old Maltese Shiatsu cross, received lifesaving treatment at the specialist hospital and their stories of survival have been reviewed by a panel of SASH judges and shortlisted for 10 SASH stories inviting the public to vote on their favourite.
SASH – Small Animal Specialist Hospital – is one of Australia’s leading veterinary hospital networks, opening its Tuggerah branch in January 2017.
Maisy was Helen Esteban and her family’s first dog, rescued from the RSPCA.
“She was our precious rescue dog and absolutely part of the family,” Esteban, of Berkeley Vale, said.
When Maisy began to rapidly grey, slow down and tire easily, the family began to worry.
But at her age, it was difficult to tell if it was her age or something more sinister.
“We initially did put it down to old age, but then her back legs began to weaken, and she was constantly panting, drinking lots of water and putting weight on.”
The local vet also thought it was possibly old age, but tests showed her kidney and liver enzymes were high.
Further investigations were carried out at SASH North Ryde, which showed a large adrenal mass growing onto the kidney that was travelling towards her heart.
“If we had left it another month or two, it would be a different story,” Estaban said.
After deciding to move ahead with surgery over radiation, Maisy made a swift recovery, and she was home three days later not needing any further treatment, except a follow-up scan in six months.
Her surgery would not have been possible without her “brother” Ringo donating blood the week earlier to cover Maisy’s surgery and three other dogs.
‘We like to tell him he is a lifesaver because he actually is,” she said.
“The vets at SASH are second to none, they understand your animal is a family member.
“This was the best decision we could have made for her; we knew we had given her the best possible chance.”
Esteban said she entered Maisy’s story to raise awareness.
“I wanted to let other people know if they had an older dog who is not well and putting it down to old age or the hot weather, have it investigated.”
Last September Wally slipped a disc in the spine and was taken straight to SASH after an initial consultation with the local vet.
“He was a bit wobbly, but by the next day he couldn’t move his back legs,” his owner Jodie Humphries of Budgewoi said.
An MRI showed he would need specialist surgery.
“SASH was chosen from word-of-mouth feedback from friends,” Humphries said.
“It’s so good SASH is now on the Central Coast.”
Wally’s outcome could have gone several ways, a speedy recovery, a long and slow recovery or no recovery.
“It will be a long, slow recovery and he is still mostly paralysed and unable to use his legs,” she said.
“But he is 100 per cent back to himself, a little cheeky bugger.
“He has wheels so he can get around and go for walks and he goes to the hydrotherapy pool at SASH once or twice a week.
“He also goes to physio a couple of times a week – he loves all the extra attention.
“I entered the competition to let people know it can go different ways, but sometimes it pays to keep hope.”
To vote for either Maisy or Wally visit https://sashvets.com/sashstories/