A 3-legged American pit bull with a heart of gold and sweet disposition captured the hearts of Alicia and Andrew Alderson when they adopted her in 2017.

“It was absolutely love at first sight–she ran into our arms.”

But their journey took an unexpected turn when last year they discovered a 3-centimeter growth on Annabel Lee’s rear left leg–a mast cell tumor.

Traditional surgical options were ruled out due to the eight-year-old’s unique circumstance of already having only three legs. Luckily, a drug approved by the FDA three years ago has been transforming mast cell tumor treatment, and was a perfect fit for the Virginia family.

Dr. Emily Moser, at Town and Country Veterinarians and Pet Resort in Gainesville, said Annabel Lee was an ideal candidate for Stelfonta.

“It’s really cool for cases like hers when surgery is not an option,” Moser explains.

Stelfonta was specifically designed to target mast cell tumors in dogs. It induces necrosis within the tumor while promoting rapid healing of the affected site–all with minimal scarring and a response from 87 percent of pups having complete tumor resolution.

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In general, the cost of such an injection is likely similar to the cost of surgery to cut out a tumor, but it’s less invasive–and anesthesia, which is risky for some older dogs, is not required.

The Aldersons expressed deep gratitude for the cancer treatment that saved their ‘little cuddle bug’.

Because they cannot have children and their pets are loved family members, this option “gave them their little girl back”.

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Today Annabel Lee has returned to being her playful, normal self. She will likely live for many years.

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