An sweet Jack Russell dog has defied the offs, after being given less than a week to live – and still being alive and kicking over a year later.

10-year-old Tilly was diagnosed with an aggressive nasal tumour in March last year and was not expected to survive.

Devastated owners Cynthia and Ian Davies, from Dorset, spent the next two weeks with their lovable pet – expecting to lose her at any moment.

But, 18 months later, Tilly is still thriving, enjoying her daily walks and cuddles as she normally would with her owners – who are in shock at her remarkable progress.

Cynthia said: ‘Eighteen months on and Tilly is doing incredibly well. She is our little miracle dog.

‘We were absolutely devastated when we heard the news. We expected to lose her within two weeks and had resigned ourselves to this. It was such a shock as apart from the small amount of blood from her nose, she appeared to be such a fit and healthy dog.

‘Had we known how she would respond so well to the treatment, and that she would not suffer any side effects at all, we would have not worried as we did.

‘She has been a faithful companion and has given and received so much love and joy. Long may it continue.’

Tilly was put on a treatment programme by cancer experts at Linnaeus-owned Cave Veterinary Specialists, in West Buckland, Devon, and is continuing to display a ‘spectacular’ clinical response.

Cave’s co-clinical director Nele Van den Steen said: ‘Tilly is the most remarkable dog who really has amazed us all.

‘The initial prognosis was poor due to the extension of the tumour beyond the nasal cavity, so the first thought was to offer palliative radiation or chemotherapy while warning the owner that Tilly may deteriorate at any time and, at best, probably only had a few weeks to live.

‘We discussed different treatment options with her owners, with the most effective one being radiotherapy, but this was declined”.

‘We then discussed neo-adjuvant chemotherapy, which could either consists of maximum tolerated chemotherapy (carboplatin) or toceranib (Palladia), and the owners opted for the latter.

‘Tilly’s response has been spectacular. We normally expect to see a clinical response in about 60 per cent of cases for an average of five to six months, yet Tilly is still with us 18 months on.

‘She’s definitely one of a kind and we’re thrilled she’s doing so well.’

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