Staffordshire Bull Terrier Dotty facing new life after cancer scare leads to losing an eye

Fourteen-year-old Dotty underwent the highly-complex operation at Paragon Veterinary Referrals, which also involved rebuilding part of her face.

Dotty’s cancer scare started when her owner Sue Helm noticed a small wart-like growth on her eyelid that then started to rapidly grow.

Grateful owner Sue said: “We were extremely concerned for Dotty’s health, particularly given the fact it required extensive surgery and Dotty’s age.

“However, we were kept fully informed of the procedure and what was involved, and throughout her recovery whilst in Paragon’s care.

“Once home, David, the surgeon, kept in regular contact with us to check on Dotty’s progress,” Sue said.

“The fantastic news is that Dotty’s no longer in pain and is almost back to her old self.

"She’s adjusting well to having one eye, particularly now her whiskers are growing back. We are all incredibly proud of our brave Dotty.”

David Barker, soft tissue surgeon at Paragon, led the operation to remove the tumorous growth after a biopsy by the ophthalmology department confirmed sarcoma.

David said: “The position of the mass was unusual and made the surgery challenging. It was quite difficult to try and keep far away from the tumour without cutting through the important blood vessels that run within the skull.

“The surgery involved removing Dotty’s eye, cheek and part of her nose.

“She’s an amazing character and we wish her all the best for the future.”