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Indie first developed a small swelling on one of her right ribs in December 2025, which wasn’t causing her any discomfort. Over the following months, the swelling gradually increased in size before growing much more rapidly as spring arrived. Around this time, Indie’s family noticed she seemed a little less energetic than usual and had lost some weight, though she was still happily enjoying her food and daily life. In April, investigations by her primary care vet suggested the mass could be a rib tumour, and Indie was referred to our Oncology service for specialist support.

When Indie arrived at The Ralph in May 2026, the mass had grown significantly. To understand the exact extent of the condition and plan the best treatment, our Oncology team performed a CT scan and took cell samples while Indie was comfortably under general anaesthesia.
The CT scan confirmed a tumour on Indie’s right 13th rib. While the scans also picked up some changes within her liver, further sampling thankfully showed these changes were completely unrelated to the tumour. The final results of the rib mass were highly suggestive of a chondrosarcoma – a type of primary bone tumour that typically affects medium to large breed dogs, most commonly in the ribs or nasal cavity. While a cancer diagnosis is always daunting, this type of tumour generally has a low rate of spreading. Most encouragingly, Indie’s scans showed no evidence that the cancer had spread to her lungs or nearby lymph nodes.

With a clear picture of what they were facing, our team proceeded with a complex surgery to remove the tumour. To give Indie the best possible chance of removing the cancer completely, our Soft Tissue Surgery team removed several of her ribs and part of her abdominal wall to ensure clean surgical margins (ie tumour-free margins). They then reconstructed the area using nearby muscle and skin to restore her chest and abdominal wall.

At 4.5 cm long, 5.5 cm wide, and 5.1 cm high, Indie’s tumour was roughly the size of a tennis ball!

The surgery was a success. Indie remained in the hospital for three days to receive supportive care, and before long, she was bright and comfortable enough to return home 🩷