A woman who recently learned that her dog has cancer has told Newsweek how she first noticed something was wrong, and explained his unusual symptoms.
In July, McKenna Allen, 27, noticed her dog’s left eye appeared slightly red, but at the time she thought little of it.
She assumed that the husky and Labrador mix, named Slate, might have scratched his eye and caused it to go bloodshot. However, it didn’t subside, and she also noticed that the nine-year-old pet appeared to be in some discomfort.
Initially, Allen, of Jacksonville, Florida, monitored Slate’s condition and hoped it would work itself out. But after three days of seeing no improvement, she told Newsweek that she started to fear it wasn’t just a scratch in his eye and could actually be glaucoma.
Although he was eating perfectly well, Slate began squinting and struggling to open his left eye, and the redness was spreading across more of his eye.
Slate, the husky and Labrador mix, pictured when his eye started going red and he began squinting. Slate’s eye started going red in July, and he was diagnosed with cancer in September.
@mckennaallentravels / TikTok
“After three days of these symptoms, I took him to a regular vet who then referred me to the ophthalmologist,” she said.
“The ophthalmologist checked the pressure in his eyes and initially diagnosed him with glaucoma. He gave us eye drops and scheduled a checkup for two weeks later, when it was recommended to remove his eye. They did blood work before the procedure and that’s when they discovered his lymphocytes were high and referred us to the oncologist.”
A high level of lymphocytes (white blood cells that recognize something as foreign to the body) can be an indication of leukemia in dogs, according to VCA Animal Hospitals. Due to this discovery, Slate then had to have a sonogram and chest X-ray, which led to his diagnosis of leukemia in September.
During the following weeks, Slate lost weight rapidly, went off his food, and became lethargic.
Allen explained that “as soon as the eye started showing symptoms,” Slate had already gone blind in his left eye. Around a month after she first noticed the redness, the same thing started happening in his right eye, and Slate is now completely blind.
“We tried two different chemotherapy treatments that didn’t work, and now we are trying a third type, and got confirmation that it’s working,” Allen said. “He has days when he is more energetic and days where he is more tired. Generally, he’s doing well and eats normally.”
According to holistic veterinarian Dr. Carol Osborne, blindness isn’t a common symptom of leukemia in dogs, but it is understood to affect “acute cases.” She explained that redness of the eye might not be a direct symptom of cancer, however it can signal high blood pressure or hypertension, which in turn are causes for concern.
She told Newsweek: “Most often, canines with chronic leukemia show signs of weight loss, decreased appetite, and lethargy that may be accompanied by fever and gastrointestinal issues.
“Redness in the eyes could be associated with elevated blood pressure or hypertensive states in the dogs with acute leukemia, along with neurological symptoms, such as blindness. Head tilts and ataxia are other signs that may or may not be present in canines suffering leukemia.”
Slate is “responding positively” to his chemotherapy, and he will continue treatment until he goes into remission. Allen also said it’s been recommended that Slate has one of his eyes surgically removed. Despite the cancer diagnosis, she is determined to keep giving Slate the happiest and fullest life possible.
Slate pictured after losing sight in his eyes and following the cancer diagnosis in September. What started off as one red eye has turned into complete blindness and cancer treatment.
@mckennaallentravels / TikTok
The Social Media Reaction
Shortly after noticing the redness in Slate’s eye, Allen turned to social media for advice by posting several pictures of her pup on TikTok (@mckennaallentravels). The slideshow of images detailed how Slate’s symptoms progressed.
Alongside the post, she added “please help,” as she felt desperate for answers at the time. It has since gone viral with over 266,600 views and more than 11,100 likes on TikTok.
“I posted it on the weekend when he went fully blind, and I was hoping that someone else might have had a similar experience. The reaction has been very supportive and helpful online since being shared,” Allen told Newsweek.
With over 200 comments on the TikTok post, plenty of pet owners reached out to share their own experiences and offered their advice.
One comment reads: “I’m so sorry. I hope he starts feeling better soon.”
Another TikTok user wrote: “It happened to my dog and turned out to be lymphoma.”
“This happened to my parents’ dog and after they got the bad eye removed the other eye cleared up and now he is back to normal living it up,” added one TikToker.
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