Sadie’s Story An Australian shepherd endures and surprises during an unexpected oncology diagnosis. Story and photos by Audrey Hambright
Just like humans, each animal’s health journey is a little different. Even with all the variables at play, there are still controlled elements — standard procedures so to speak — used to determine the best approach for treatment depending on the diagnosis. It’s methodical, logical and practical. And then there’s Sadie. Sadie is a 14-year-old Australian shepherd who has been living her best ranch dog life. A very playful dog for her age, Sadie is often dubbed “Nurse Sadie” or “Sadie Nightingale” due to her desire to clean wounds, whether it’s on a horse or a human. 38 | wildcatveterinarian
Unexpected discovery In 2017, when Sadie was 8 years old, her owner Dr. Marty Vanier, DVM class of 1981, noticed some swollen lymph nodes on Sadie and took her to a local clinic. She was referred to the Veterinary Health Center for further examination and testing with the oncology section. Sadie’s diagnosis was T-zone lymphoma, which is typically an indolent type of lymphoma and very slow progressing. At this point Marty says Sadie didn’t know anything was wrong nor was she exhibiting other signs of illness apart from some large lymph nodes.
