What a Star! The horse's life was saved by pioneering surgery after owner Paul Newby discovered a melon-sized tumour on her jawA horse has been saved by pioneering surgery which removed her jaw to cut out a rare melon-sized tumour.
Paul Newby, 33, was devastated when he discovered his beloved six-year-old horse Star had the rare form of cancer in her mouth.
After taking her for a series of tests, he was told the showjumping champion had ameloblastoma of the mandible - a rare tumour in her bottom jaw.
Determined not to give up hope on his steed, Paul’s vet Kathy Uprichard of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, contacted surgeons at Glasgow University who offered to carry out a delicate and dangerous operation to remove Star’s bottom jaw and take out the tumour.
The horse spent two weeks being looked after by the surgeons at Glasgow University where the pioneering operation was carried out.
On the mend: Paul Newby allowed surgeons from Glasgow to operate on his champion showjumper, making her the fifth horse in the world to have the pioneering operationPaul, of Sunderland, said in January he started noticing a swelling around her mouth but thought it was an abscess or a bruise, but it soon swelled to the size of an apple.
Vets took a biopsy and discovered it was cancer.
'I was convinced I was going to lose her,' Paul said.
'I was told I had two choices. I could either leave it, but I was told her days would be numbered, or go to Glasgow and have the operation.
'It was a gamble because there was still a massive risk with the operation because she might not have pulled through, but I had to go for it.'
source: dailymail
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