Perfect recovery for pup Purdey after ‘incredibly rare’ brain tumour

Vets have celebrated a young Labrador for beating “every expectation” in her recovery from an “incredibly rare” brain tumour.

Purdey, then aged one, was rushed to her local vets last summer after suffering a sudden and alarming string of seizures.

The Labrador was urgently referred to Bristol Vet Specialists’ neurology team, where an emergency MRI scan revealed a large mass in the left side of her brain.

Bristol’s head of neurology, RCVS and European specialist Nicolas Granger, who led the investigation, said: “In older dogs we often see brain tumours, but in a one‑year‑old Labrador, it’s incredibly rare. We knew we had to act fast.”

After a series of advanced staging tests to ensure there were no signs of metastasis, the hospital’s oncology team delivered radiotherapy via a 6MV linear accelerator, said to be one of the most advanced pieces of veterinary oncology equipment in the country.

Precision radiation

With a custom mould holding her in place, Purdey received high‑precision radiation directly to the tumour over the course of three weeks, as well as daily radiosensitising chemotherapy (temozolomide) to boost the treatment’s effectiveness.

A three-month MRI revealed the Labrador’s tumour had completely vanished.

Small animal oncology resident Beth Rolf said: “A complete response like this is exactly what we hope for.

“Purdey’s youth, her family’s dedication, and the precision of our radiotherapy equipment all contributed to this fantastic outcome.”

Eight months after her diagnosis, Purdey has just had another MRI come back entirely clear.

Dr Rolf added: “She’s beaten every expectation. We’re incredibly proud of her.”