Meriam Saleh and her dog Blue
Texas A&M University School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
Blue, a mixed-breed dog, has actually called several scholastic organizations home as she has actually taken a trip the nation together with her owner, Dr. Meriam Saleh.
“She has been with me at the University of Tennessee for my undergrad, Virginia Tech for my Ph.D., Oklahoma State for my postdoc, and now she’s an Aggie,” Saleh said. “She’s my little academic buddy, and I like to say that she has her ‘dogtorate,’ too.”
Since 2021, the set have actually been at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, where Saleh works as a scientific assistant teacher.
As fate would have it, Texas A&M, home to among the very best veterinary cancer treatment centers in the nation, was precisely where they required to be.
Saleh initially fulfilled Blue in 2011, when Saleh was studying animal science in Tennessee.
“Blue’s original owner got a job in Africa and asked me to keep her for three months while he was out of the country. She stayed at my house and I fell in love with her, and I was so sad when the three months were over,” Saleh said.
Fortunately for Saleh, the friend’s short-lived job developed into a long-term one and Blue ended up being hers to keep.
As the years passed, Blue was constantly by Saleh’s side; she was there for every test, every graduation, and every “first day.”
Cancer Scare, Times Two
The set had a little scare in 2016 when a little bump on Blue’s ear ended up being a low-grade mast cell growth, however a fast surgical treatment looked after the issue and Blue was thought about treated.
“They said to just keep an eye out for any more lumps and bumps, but because it was low-grade and they got clear margins, it was not a big deal,” Saleh said.
Six years later on, nevertheless, Blue’s cancer returned. Saleh observed a big red mass under the dog’s front left leg in March 2022, which their medical care vet validated as another mast cell growth.
Blue was then described the Texas A&M Small Animal Teaching Hospital’s (SATH) Oncology Service, where the growth was found to be state-of-the-art, which suggested it would grow and spread out quicker than the initial one.
According to Blue’s veterinary group, mast cell growths are the most typical kind of skin growths in dogs, however just 11-35% are state-of-the-art. The state-of-the-art status affected their choice to surgically eliminate the growth and after that do a round of chemotherapy to eliminate any staying cancer cells.
“That was hard news, but Blue’s veterinarians were so caring and empathetic,” Saleh said. “Blue loves coming to her oncology visits and she loves everyone in oncology. She runs from me to go greet Diorella (McGuire, a veterinary technician) and it makes me so happy that she’s happy and well cared for. It makes all the difference in the world.”
And that enjoy isn’t one-way; Blue’s oncology group enjoys her back simply as much.
“Blue stole my heart the very first time I met her,” McGuire said. “My preferred aspects of Blue are her everlasting puppy spirit and her happy dances. She illuminate the whole Oncology Service whenever she goes to. Blue and I have actually established an effective connection throughout her treatment.
“I like to think that this bond has helped to make Blue’s frequent visits to the hospital for treatments as enjoyable as possible,” McGuire continued. “No one would guess that Blue is coming in for chemotherapy by the way she confidently prances down the hallway. She will always hold a special place in my heart.”
After Blue finished her 3 months of chemotherapy, she was lastly, as soon as again, cancer totally free.
“I cannot rave about the oncology team here enough,” Saleh said. “When we finished chemo, they all signed Blue’s bandana and they rang the bell with us. They were happy, too, and that means a lot.”
Continued Care
Since then, Blue has actually gone back to the SATH every 3 months for bloodwork, radiographs of her lungs, and aspirates of her liver and spleen to search for indications of transition. These places, in addition to the skin, are where brand-new mast cell growths are more than likely to form.
“I just make the most of every day and I consider all the time I have with her a gift,” Saleh said. “She’s happy which actually is all that matters to me.
“Blue has been a part of my life since college, through all my training to be a parasitologist with the goal of working at a veterinary school,” Saleh said. “It’s just really full circle that the place where I work and teach is also the best place in the world for her to get this kind of care. We’re just really lucky.”
