By: Marissa Greenberg, DVM

In my 10+ year cimg9520161areer, I’ve had a lot of patients that hold a special place in my heart-either due to their endearing personalities, amazing owners, braveness through illness, or inspiring perseverance to defy all odds. But none could come close to the topping the list and embracing all of these traits quite like “Layla,” the one-eyed wonder dog.

I first met “Layla” 4 years ago, when she was 6 years old. “Layla” had her right eye removed as a puppy due to an injury. In November of 2012,Dr. Jones and I diagnosed “Layla” with a bone cancer, called an osteosarcoma. Dr. Jones skillfully amputated “Layla’s” left front leg to remove the cancer. “Layla” quickly adjusted to her new three-legged stance, and was soon running and playing just like she always had! Once she had recovered from surgery, “Layla” was treated with 4 rounds of chemotherapy in order to ensure no cancer cells were left behind. Here’s where “Layla’s” story gets filled with “wonder”…

Most dogs with osteosarcoma that undergo amputation and chemotherapy, just like “Layla,” only live for about a year. But not for “Layla,” the one-eyed wonder dog! “Layla” had been cancer free for almost 4 years, putting her in an elite class of osteosarcoma patients. Then her story got even more “wonder”-filled…

In October of this year “Layla” came in acting sick, and Dr. Evans diagnosed her with a mass in one of her lungsimg_34421. In addition, her immune system was doing strange things to make her sick-causing inflammation in her joints, her eyes, and her lymph nodes. Dr. Evans referred “Layla” to a specialty hospital where she met with oncologists and internal medicine veterinarians. They suspected that the mass in her lung may be cancer, and also suspected her immune system was being triggered by the cancer to do odd things throughout her body. “Layla” had a CT scan, which determined that the mass was isolated to one lung lobe, which meant it could be removed. Very quickly after having her lung lobe with the mass removed, her immune system went back to normal and stopped causing inflammation throughout her body. Unfortunately, her lung tumor came back as osteosarcoma- this means that her original bone tumor had, even after almost 4 years, spread to her lung. In most patients when this happens, it spreads throughout all the lungs, making it impossible to remove. Not the case for “Layla”- more of her “wonder” at work.

“Layla’s” case is unique and awe-inspiring to all of us doctors and staff that have had the pleasure of knowing her and working with her. Not only is it so rare for a dog to live this long after their original osteosarcoma diagnosis, it’s also rare for it to come back in just one lung lobe that can be removed. “Layla” constantly defies all odds. She is undergoing chemotherapy again- 4 rounds of the same medication she got after her amputation. And no matter what, she’s always happy to be a good patient and a loving member of her family. Though we don’t know exactly what to expect for “Layla’s” future, we know that “Layla” is a patient for the record books in more ways than one, and has earned her esteemed title of the one-eyed wonder dog!