DRAKE Vets in Tavistock and Yelverton has announced its Braveheart winner of 2012 as Whisky, a seven-year-old West Highland White Terrier.

Whisky was brought into the practice after his owners had found a lump under one of his front legs. On examination, veterinarian Ulrike found that all his lymph nodes were slightly enlarged and advised his owners that further investigation was necessary.

Whisky was anaesthetised and biopsies were taken from several different lymph nodes. His owners were warned that it could be bad news.

A week later the results were back and it was as the vet had feared — lymphoma, a malignant cancer that affects the lymphatic system and could therefore affect all the organs in his body.

Whisky started chemotherapy in a hope to put the lymphoma into remission.

He was also given other drugs to slow the progression of the cancer and to prevent gut problems and sickness associated with chemotherapy.

After six weeks of chemotherapy Whisky had not responded to the treatment as well as the vet had hoped.

He was passed onto a referral centre specialising in oncology treatments where he started a new chemotherapy regime.

Whisky responded well and his lymph nodes have all reduced in size and he is back to being bright and bouncy and enjoying life.

Whisky has an excellent quality of life and the veterinary practice hopes that he continues to respond well to treatment to keep the lymphoma under control or well and truly into remission.

Since his ordeal, Whisky has helped to raise more than £1,000 for the Barn Owl Trust by taking part in a sponsored walk.

It has now been a year since his lymphoma was diagnosed and his lymphoma is kept under control by his treatment. His results were so promising that a treatment break was decided upon.

Unfortunately at the end of 2012 his lymphoma reappeared and chemotherapy had to be restarted.

Luckily he has responded well to the medication again and is continuing to be his happy, active self.