Skip to main content

Battling Cancer - Annie's Story



With a Little Help from Her Friends, Annie Sage Found Love and Health

Annie Sage might appear to the untrained eye like your standard, slightly walleyed Chihuahua, but the story of her winning battle with cancer is quite remarkable, and the fact that Annie has two talented actor parents lends an air of "celebreality" to her tale.

Annie’s story begins in 2004, when she and two younger Chihuahuas were surrendered to Pet Orphans, a Van Nuys, California animal shelter, by an owner who could no longer provide sufficient care. Many of the animals at Pet Orphans receive multiple adoption applications, but while Annie’s Chihuahua companions were adopted immediately, Annie was left behind, enduring three months of being overlooked for adoption. Fortunately, she had Judy, a Pet Orphans volunteer, lovingly looking after her while she waited.

When Judy and her husband David first met Annie, they were recovering from the tragic loss of their Papillion, Tess. Getting a new dog was not something they were planning for,  but Judy bonded with Annie immediately and wondered who would adopt this sad, little dog. The odds were not in Annie’s favor due to her senior status, unusual appearance, and timid demeanor.

Although Judy was still grief-stricken by the loss of Tess, she took Annie home for an overnight stay. The previously shy Annie made herself right at home. After watching TV with David and Judy, Annie disappeared into another room; she had gone to their bedroom and put herself to bed. At that moment, Judy realized that Annie was the perfect dog for them. Shortly after Annie joined the family, two more rescue dogs — Christopher and Louie — were added to the mix.

In November 2010, Annie was diagnosed with bladder cancer (Transitional Cell Carcinoma, or TCC).  Identifying TCC can be difficult, as symptoms are subtle and mimic signs of a urinary tract infection. This was the case with Annie, but her symptoms were persistent enough that additional tests were performed, revealing the TCC.

Judy and David were devastated. Judy’s first instinct was to take action and fight. For David, Annie’s diagnosis brought back memories of his dad’s battle with cancer. David was pessimistic about Annie’s prognosis, but he still wanted to know the treatment options. A meeting with a veterinary oncologist led them to understand that Annie still had a chance and that she would have minimal to no side effects from her cancer treatments. In fact, if Annie did as well as the average dog with TCC, the treatments would provide an improved quality of life for her.

David and Judy elected to treat Annie with the recommended combination of surgery and chemotherapy, and indeed, Annie rarely showed any noticeable side effects.

Once her cancer was controlled, many of her urinary tract symptoms resolved.  Almost one year later, Annie is doing well and shows no overt signs of having cancer. 

Many people with older pets might face a circumstance similar to that of Judy and David and come to a different conclusion. There are many factors unique to each case and not all animals have the same treatment options or prognosis. For Judy and David, the potential for a good outcome outweighed the negatives of allowing cancer to go untreated.

When asked why she and David chose to treat Annie’s cancer, Judy affirms her optimistic outlook in stating, "I never had money greet me at the door with a wagging tail and a kiss." So far, Annie’s tail has not stopped wagging.

About Annie’s Caretakers:

Judith (Judy) Helton, is an award-winning actress who has been writing and performing one-woman shows since 1975. Her professional theater credits include work in resident acting companies in Baltimore, Milwaukee, Houston, and San Diego.  She continues to perform her historically accurate, one-woman shows based on the lives of Abigail Adams, Beatrix Potter, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Lotta Crabtree for elementary students in Southern California.

David Sage, an accomplished stage, film, and screen actor, is Judy’s husband.  David has appeared in episodes of Seinfeld (the doctor whom Jerry’s dad accused of stealing his wallet), The Practice, Campus Cops, The West Wing, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and in a featured role in The Bird Cage (Senator Eli Jackson).

This article was contributed by Annie Sage’s veterinarian, Avenelle Turner, DVM, DACVIM (Oncology).

Photo Credit: Ricardo Barrera

Source: https://www.petmd.com/

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Is the Teacup Dog Your Cup O' Tea?

Teacup dogs are curious little canines, but what exactly classifies a "Teacup"? Here are five fast facts on the dog type.   The Teacup is neither a breed or a class, at least not one that is recognized by any of the major canine associations. Instead, it is merely a term people use to describe a dog of a certain stature. Although many refer to the Teacup as any Toy Group dog smaller than the official size standard, most breeders will simply refer to it as a Toy dog. Unofficially, a Teacup is a dog that is at least 12 months old, measuring 17 inches or less. A Teacup's body temperature ranges between 100.2 to 102.8 degrees Fahrenheit, on average. They were once viewed as status symbols by the rich. Members of the European and Oriental aristocracy and royalty would use these lap dog's body heat to warm cold palace beds and laps (I mean, wouldn’t you?). Emperors were even known to carry them in their sleeves. We have to say, it's they had a better fashion sense than ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Miracle Milly Named World's Smallest Dog

Miracle Milly, a 3.8 inch tall, one pound Chihuahua living in Puerto Rico, is officially the World’s Smallest Dog measured in height, according to Guinness World Records. Imagine having a dog as small as an athletic shoe. The nearly two-year-old dog may not be as big as a ham, but she knows how to act like one, according to her dog mom, Vanesa Semler, who lives in Dorado, Puerto Rico. Milly will stick her tongue out anytime someone points a camera at her. "She knows how to pose," Semler told the Associated Press, as reported by NBC News. Milly is one of ten dog siblings that live with Semler. Semler says Milly likes only certain foods such as chicken and salmon. The doted upon tiny pup even sleeps in a baby crib. "People are amazed when they see her because she is so small," Semler says. "And she has a big personality. People love her." Milly was apparently strong enough to push a slightly larger dog from Kentucky out of the seat for the title of the small...
Post a Comment
Read more

What is Pet Insurance?

Pet insurance (also known as pet health insurance) helps cover the cost of veterinary care if your pet becomes ill or injured. Some pet insurance plans also provide reimbursement for wellness procedures such as vaccinations, heartworm testing, and spaying/neutering. Pet insurance is similar to human health insurance in that it has: Deductibles Co-pays Maximum payouts Premiums Waiting periods No coverage for pre-existing conditions Deductible A deductible is an amount you must pay before the insurance company will start paying. There are two types of deductibles: per-incident and annual. A per-incident deductible is an amount you must pay for each new illness or injury. An annual deductible is an amount that you must pay each policy year. Co-pay A co-pay is the percentage you must pay after the deductible is met. The remaining percentage of covered expenses is paid by the insurance company. For example: if your co-pay is 20 percent, the pet insurance company will pay 80 percent of cover...
Post a Comment
Read more