International celebrity, Esther the wonder pig has been diagnosed with cancer.
The 630 pound, fully domesticated pig and her dad’s Steve Jenkins and Derek Walter, got a scare last November while out for a stroll.
“We thought she was having a heart attack at the time and rushed her to OVC and turned out not to be a heart attack and kind of narrowed it down to what they thought was a musculoskeletal issue.”
Later she was diagnosed with breast cancer, they found four masses.
To get that diagnosis they needed the right equipment. The international celebrity and her dad’s raised $650 000 to buy Canada’s first large-animal CT scanner which may prove to be life-saving.
An emotional rollercoaster, Steve says Esther’s health has been good but surgery later this month will determine how aggressive the cancer is.
Esther’s doctor is out of the country but Dr. Jeff Wichtel from the Ontario Veterinary College says they are confident removing the mass will give Esther a new lease on life.
The scanner has now been donated to the veterinary college and means advanced imaging for a variety of animals including pigs, horses and cows is now possible.