McAfee Animal Hospital cares deeply for all of its patients and their families, and after their long battles with cancer, two incredible dogs have stolen all of the staff’s hearts. Brigitta and Faux Pas, 10-year-old sisters, have been inseparable their entire lives, and thanks to McAfee Animal Hospital’s care, they’ve been given plenty more time to cuddle and love each other.
To say Brigitta and Faux Pas are close to their owners Tony Vancauwelaert and Ono Olivadoti would be an understatement. From the moment the half-Hungarian Vizsla and half-Weimaraner dogs were adopted by the couple, they’ve hardly been apart a day in their lives.
“They need to be cuddling or touching either us or each other all the time,” said Vancauwelaert.
The couple and their two dogs live in Chicago but have a weekend home in Valparaiso. During the pandemic, the couple started staying in Valparaiso more often, so they decided they needed to find a vet that was a bit closer.
After some research, Vancauwelaert decided to go to McAfee Animal Hospital because it had wonderful reviews online and it could get the dogs in for a routine check-up the same week that he called. He was immediately pleased with the service, but he was about to find out, though, just how great McAfee Animal Hospital’s care truly is.
Brigitta and Faux Pas’ journey with cancer began with Faux Pas having a tumor on her leg. Dr. Brooke McAfee quickly removed it before the cancer could spread anywhere else. Then, Brigitta had a tumor. Dr. McAfee noticed the tumor right away and did an ultrasound and some bloodwork. The tumor ended up being nothing but some fatty tissue, but Brigitta’s bloodwork still came back abnormal. The ultrasound revealed that Brigitta actually had a small nodule on her spleen.
Dr. McAfee gave Vancauwelaert and Olivadoti some different care options, and Vancauwelaert decided to have Dr. McAfee remove Brigitta’s spleen. After the spleen was removed, Dr. McAfee ran some tests on the nodule and found that it was cancerous. She gave the couple some more options, and they eventually decided to go ahead with chemotherapy.
Brigitta’s treatment started in August and was scheduled to take place once a week every three weeks for five cycles. The first chemo cycle went okay, but both Faux Pas and Brigitta were sad to be separated all day long. Rather than let this slide, Dr. McAfee immediately took action to ensure both dogs were comfortable.
“Dr. Brooke said, ‘Why don't you just leave Faux Pas here to keep Brigitta company? I think it'll be better for both of them.’ From that point on, they were only separated when it was time for Dr. Brooke to administer the chemotherapy. They were only apart for 30 minutes. It was so nice,” said Vancauwelaert.
From that point on, things couldn’t have gone any better. Brigitta had a little bit of sickness but was otherwise okay. By the time Brigitta and Faux Pas were both completely cancer-free, the dogs, Vancauwelaert, and Olivadoti were no longer just patients—they were part of the McAfee Animal Hospital family.
“The staff was fantastic. They held a little party for Brigitta and gave her some doggie ice cream and different things like that,” said Vancauwelaert.
Vancauwelaert and Olivadoti felt so connected with the McAfee Animal Hospital staff that they even thanked McAfee Animal Hospital by donating a bell in Brigitta and Faux Pas’ names so that future cancer survivors can ring it and celebrate just like humans do when they’re in the hospital.
Looking back on the experience, Vancauwelaert can’t imagine taking his beloved dogs anywhere else for vet visits. The diligence of the McAfee Animal Hospital team allowed them to catch Brigitta’s cancer earlier than most vet hospitals can.
“By the time it's diagnosed in most dogs, this type of tumor is already six centimeters in size or bigger. The dog will already have some negative symptoms, and they'll be very lethargic and just don't seem right. McAfee Animal Hospital caught Brigitta’s tumor when it was less than a centimeter in size. To me, this was definitely caught extremely early,” said Vancauwelaert.
Vancauwelaert loves that the McAfee Animal Hospital team was available and helpful every step of the way. If he had a concern, Dr. McAfee was only ever a text away.
“It meant a lot to me. Dr. Brooke was very accessible the entire time. She told me all the time to call and text her and gave me ways to get a hold of her after hours. Throughout the whole journey, she would also text me just to check in and see how things were going. It was fantastic,” said Vancauwelaert.
Vancauwelaert also appreciates that the McAfee Animal Hospital team cared about more than just the dogs’ physical health. They cared deeply about the dogs’ emotional well-being.
“They truly had all of our interests at heart. They of course paid attention to the medical piece and Brigitta’s physical needs, but they took both dogs’ psychology to heart, even when Faux Pas wasn’t the one being treated,” said Vancauwelaert.
Vancauwelaert couldn’t be more grateful for everything McAfee Animal Hospital has done for his family. The McAfee Animal Hospital team took a scary circumstance and turned it into something incredible.
“McAfee Animal Hospital has been so friendly and caring. This is something that can be a very horrible experience for most people, but I think it ended up being a very positive experience for all of us. I recommend anyone who is going through something like this to make sure you have people like Dr. Brooke and everyone at McAfee Animal Hospital by your side who's willing to present all the options to you and help you think through the decision,” said Vancauwelaert.
Now that Brigitta and Faux Pas are cancer-free, they, Vancauwelaert, and Olivadoti are all back to their old selves. They love to go on long walks and spend time at dog-friendly breweries and restaurants as a family. Most importantly, though, they are all just happy to be together.
“We have a lot to be thankful for,” said Vancauwelaert.
To learn more about McAfee Animal Hospital and its love for its patients, visit mcafeeah.com.