When Malakai’s routine vet visit revealed an unexpected cancer diagnosis, his owner Holly pursued life-saving treatment with the surgery and oncology teams at BluePearl.
Malakai is a 5-year-old Husky/Malamute mix living with his owner Holly in Arden Hills, Minnesota. While having his anal glands expressed during a routine vet visit, his family vet made a startling discovery, which resulted in four words no pet owner wants to hear:
“Your dog has cancer.”
Malakai was diagnosed with anal gland adenocarcinoma. Holly took some time to process the news and research his specific type of cancer and available treatment options. Because his cancer was life-threatening, Holly knew that she wanted to pursue treatment, so her family vet referred her to the specialists at BluePearl Pet Hospital in Arden Hills.
The first step was meeting with Dr. Kathryn Kaufman, a board certified veterinary surgeon, to discuss whether Malakai was a good candidate for surgery to remove the cancer.
“Dr. Kaufman was so kind and intelligent. She really made us feel comfortable moving forward with diagnostic scans and surgery,” said Holly after their consultation. “We were so happy to find that his cancer had not spread anywhere else in his body, and surgery was an excellent option.”
Dr. Kaufman and Holly discussed all aspects of this life-saving procedure.
“She explained every detail of the surgery. She included pictures and models to help us understand,” said Holly. “She gave us so much of her time and gave us realistic expectations. I trusted her one hundred percent throughout the whole process.”
They stayed in close communication on the day of the surgery.
Dr. Kaufman personally called Holly to let her know how the surgery went and how she navigated surgical complications. The surgery team also sent her pictures and updates throughout the day to help put her mind at ease.
Fortunately, the surgery was a success.
Dr. Kaufman removed the entire tumor despite the significant scar tissue surrounding it. After the procedure, she met with Holly and discussed the discharge instructions in detail.
“I felt comfortable caring for his wounds. She was very informative with the care necessary in such a difficult area of the body,” said Holly. “When I had worries about how things looked at home, I was able to text the staff. I sent a picture of his incision and Dr. Kaufman was willing to take a look and let us know that everything was normal.”
Shortly after Malakai’s surgery, they received the pathology test results.
They learned that the cancerous cells may have circulated into his bloodstream, so he was referred to Dr. Megan Duffy, a board certified veterinary oncologist at the same hospital.
“Dr. Duffy was equally as phenomenal,” said Holly. “She walked us through our options and recommended that we complete some scans to ensure that there weren't any visible cancerous spots in his body.”
Dr. Duffy recommended chemotherapy to treat any cancerous cells that may still have been in Malaki’s bloodstream. She walked Holly through the different options and costs. She also discussed how Malakai’s body may respond to the treatment and any effects it could have had on his quality of life.
Holly decided on oral chemotherapy, which is administered at home. Every month, the oncology team reviewed Malakai’s lab work and let Holly know it was safe to give him his chemo medicine.
He successfully completed six rounds of chemotherapy without complications.
“Throughout the process, BluePearl staff called us at various times to check in on Malakai and see how he was doing. I thought it was so nice,” said Holly.
After chemotherapy, Dr. Duffy delivered the four hopeful words that Holly had been waiting for:
“Malakai is cancer free.”
“I cried so many happy tears and I am forever grateful to this team,” said Holly. “Dr. Duffy walked us through what we needed to do moving forward, and I put full trust in her recommendations. She always made us feel so welcome, remembered Malakai, and was excited to see his progress. I will never forget the people who helped me, my dog and our family on our scariest days.”
Drs. Kaufman and Duffy and the entire BluePearl team were so happy that Malaki recovered from his cancer diagnosis and could continue living a happy, healthy life with Holly and their family.
Holly shared one final word of advice for anyone who is considering seeking help for their pet:
“Please, if you need to see a specialist for your pup and you can make it work financially, take them to BluePearl. There is no limit to the money I would spend to save my dog, and this team was worth every single penny.”
