McAfee Animal Hospital continues to assist “miracle dog” Faux Pas through cancer treatment

As a longtime dog owner, Tony Vancauwelaert has learned a lot over the years. The most important part of the experience has been learning how resilient dogs can be.

In 2023, McAfee Animal Hospital worked with owners Vancauwelaert and Ono Olivadoti, and their two dogs, Faux Pas and Brigitta. The two dogs had been inseparable their entire lives, including when the couple adopted them. After months of working with McAfee Animal Hospital, the doctors helped both dogs become cancer-free.

Near the end of the year, things took a turn for the worse as Brigitta suddenly got short of breath. After rounds of surgery and chemotherapy, it was discovered that Brigitta was in the 4% of dogs experiencing a rare side effect of damage to the heart via chemotherapy. She handled the chemotherapy like a champion before passing away on December 29, 2023.

While it was a blessing that Brigitta passed peacefully at home and free of cancer, it was a hard pill to swallow, especially for her lifelong sister and litter mate, Faux Pas. When the family went to the crematorium for Brigitta, they received her ashes and went out together on New Year’s Eve.

“The three of us went with Brigitta’s ashes to one of the breweries we used to go to, so it was really the four of us,” Vancauwelaert said. “We wanted to spend a little more time with her.”

One month later, another hurdle would enter the scene. When Faux Pas was brought in to McAfee Animal Hospital for a regular checkup, Dr. Brooke McAfee noticed a tumor on her spleen.

Faux Pas underwent a procedure to have her spleen removed, as the tumor was an aggressive form of splenic cancer. Understanding the history of Brigitta’s situation, along with Faux Pas having a smaller tumor, Vancauwelaert wanted to be a bit more conservative this time. 

“We tried some natural and herbal remedies,” Vancauwelaert said. “We had mushroom powder for the food, along with some herbal pills to give to Faux Pas. We just kept a close eye on her to see how that went, following that regiment for close to a year.”

As of today, Faux Pas has shown tremendous improvement in her health. Her blood work and routine checkups kept coming back with positive results, and the family helped her stay up-to-date on vaccines. The family has still been giving her mushroom powder, but has stopped with some of the herbal medicines.

“She’s been doing great; she will be 13 next month,” Vancauwelaert said. “Dr. Brooke has called her a miracle dog given everything that has happened. We know that Brigitta is watching out for her as a guardian angel. She’s an extremely playful and loving dog. We take her to daycare, on vacations, and she even goes out to the bars with us. She’s done a few costume contests as well.”

The most recent routine checkup for Faux Pas was December 5, 2025. She came back with great blood work, staying the course as she continues to live a healthy life as much as possible. Vancauwelaert has considered McAfee Animal Hospital to be a blessing when it comes to looking out for their dogs and helping them feel better.

“The genuine concern that Dr. Brooke and the McAfee team have had for our dogs has been the biggest thing for us,” Vancauwelaert said. “It isn’t a one-sided ordeal either, because Dr. Brooke is very engaged with our pets and wants to check in for updates every so often. A few years ago, we donated a bell for cancer survivors to ring in celebration, so we sometimes get to see or hear about when people ring the bell. We’re very happy to work with this team.”

While the loss of Brigitta has been an adjustment for Faux Pas and the entire family, the bond between the sisters is something that will never be lost. 

“Nobody ever wants to hear about a cancer diagnosis or the discovery of a tumor,” Vancauwelaert said. “Being able to navigate the path forward with your goals and desires being at the front of the mind and the support by everybody involved has been incredible.”

For more information on McAfee Animal Hospital, you can visit mcafeeah.com.