A UK man and his pet dog have been both diagnosed with kidney cancer, just a few months apart from each other, as per a report in Independent. Simon O'Brien first learnt about the diagnosis of his eight-year-old golden Labrador Bella. Later, he found out about his condition.
Before scans showed they had potentially fatal tumours on their kidneys, which were ultimately identified as cancer, both began exhibiting similar symptoms, including feeling extremely tired and thirsty. However, Mr O'Brien discovered that his cancer was in remission earlier this year after undergoing a seven-hour emergency surgery and having his kidney removed. However, such a surgery for his pet is risky for his labrador, who now has just a short time to live.
He told the outlet, "If you are not an animal person, then you probably don't get it, but if you are, then you understand. She is my best friend and is so much more than a dog to us, she is family. It was like a bolt out of the blue and having two cancers in the family at the same time has been awful."
The O'Brien family started noticing signs of Bella's illness in May 2022 when the dog "started losing weight, sleeping more and drinking lots of water." He told the outlet that otherwise the pet was "just a family dog, who is always happy and loves playing with children". "She was usually very prim and proper and groomed herself, but she had stopped and constantly had her tail between her legs, which was unusual, so we knew something was wrong," Mr O'Brien added.
The vet diagnosed her with kidney cancer and informed them that Bella had only some months to live. Later, in October, Mr O'Brien started to feel worn out after his regular marathon training. After conducting several tests, doctors confirmed that he had a mass on his right kidney which had a chance of spreading to his lymph nodes. ''Telling the kids was one of the hardest things, but we decided it was best to all go through it together. Quietly to myself I was thinking, 'Oh my god, I can't believe this, me and my poor dog. At least I can get the op," he told Independent.
However, now he has a sense of relief after the surgery. Bella, on the other hand, who has terminal cancer, "has lived far longer than was originally expected". He added, "The one thing we have kept going is taking her to the beach because she loves the waves, and for five or ten minutes she'll forget everything and be a puppy."
