One Tough Cookie: Texas A&M Veterinary Team Collaborates To Save French Bulldog In ‘Once-In-A-Lifetime’ Case
Story by Sophie Cela, VMBS Marketing & Communications
Cookie, an adorable 2-year-old French bulldog, is a ball of energy with a big personality. But in August, when his usual playfulness gave way to sluggishness, his owners began to suspect that something was wrong.
Fortunately, his owner, Shari Strange — a former nurse who now runs a cookie business from home, which is what inspired Cookie’s name — noticed a problem, and her medical background and attentive care allowed her to act quickly.
After a series of tests, Cookie was diagnosed with a rare and life-threatening condition called an arteriovenous malformation (AVM), where abnormal blood vessels disrupt normal blood flow, leading to significant fluid buildup, a distended stomach and serious health risks.
But thanks to a highly skilled veterinary team from the Texas A&M Small Animal Teaching Hospital’s (SATH) Interventional Radiology and Soft Tissue Surgery services, Cookie’s life was saved, and now, the dog is back home, bringing sweetness to his family’s lives every day.
Living The Sweet Life
Whether it’s chasing his favorite toy or following his family around the house, Cookie’s playful spirit brings joy to Shari, her husband, and their twin boys. One of Cookie’s daily routines, a highlight in the Strange household, includes ringing a bell by the back door when it’s time to play.
“He rings that bell constantly,” Strange said. “He’s very active and always wants to be outside.”
To the Strange family, Cookie is more than a pet — he’s a cherished companion and irreplaceable part of their lives. His nightly routine of making sure everyone gets to bed safely is a gesture that makes him all the more special.
“He’s a family member,” Strange said. “Cookie is hilarious. Every night, he tucks my twin boys in and then waits for me to tuck him in.”
Early Signs of Trouble
Initially, Cookie’s AVM symptoms seemed related to the Texas weather, as French bulldogs often struggle with heat. But soon, what seemed like heat intolerance quickly escalated into more severe symptoms.
“He always loves running outside and playing with his ball,” Strange said. “But suddenly, we noticed he was getting tired very easily.”
As Cookie’s energy levels continued to drop, he began experiencing diarrhea, a decreased appetite and unexplained weight gain. Alarmed, Strange took him back to their local veterinarian, where X-rays revealed that his abdomen was filled with fluid.
After being referred to Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists (GCVS) in Houston, Cookie spent a week undergoing further testing. Once some of the fluid was drained from his abdomen, veterinarians concluded that Cookie had an AVM.
“The doctor at GCVS said, ‘This isn’t something we normally do. This is rare, and if it was my dog, I’d take him to Texas A&M,’” Strange said.
Understanding AVM
AVM is a rare and dangerous condition where the body’s blood vessels — arteries, veins and capillaries — are not properly formed.
In a typical circulatory system, arteries carry oxygen- and nutrient-filled blood from the heart to the tissues, while veins return the deoxygenated, nutrient-depleted blood back to the heart, allowing it to be replenished. Capillaries, the tiny blood vessels linking arteries to veins, play a crucial role in regulating blood flow from high-pressure arteries to low-pressure veins and facilitating nutrient exchange.
In Cookie’s case, this system was disrupted by a tangled cluster of blood vessels — known as AVM — causing high-pressure arterial blood to bypass the capillaries and overwhelm his veins, specifically the portal vein connected to the liver. This led to the fluid buildup in his abdomen.
“Some extra blood vessels grew and had to go somewhere,” said Dr. Audrey Cook, a professor in the SATH’s Interventional Radiology Service. “This can happen as a result of trauma, but there was nothing in Cookie’s history to suggest that. I believe he was born with this condition, and it just slowly, slowly got worse over time.”
Cookie’s AVM required the expertise of a specialized team, consisting of Cook, her Interventional Radiology Service teammate Dr. Genna Atiee, and Dr. Shelby Gasson, an assistant professor in the SATH’s Soft Tissue Surgery Service. The three doctors collaborated to develop a treatment plan.
Tackling A Rare Condition
The Texas A&M team had never encountered a condition as unique and complex as Cookie’s case. The preparation required a blend of expertise and extensive planning.
“It was a really challenging malformation that we don’t commonly see,” Gasson said. “It’s not well reported in the literature, so we had very little information to draw on.”
The team spent significant time planning Cookie’s surgery. Cook noted that much more time was spent discussing the surgery than performing it.
“We had to really think through every step over and over again,” Cook said. “But that’s part of the fun — it gave us a chance to think differently and come up with creative solutions.”
After two weeks of meticulous preparation, both the Interventional Radiology and Soft Tissue Surgery teams were ready to tackle the complex case. Cook’s IR team used advanced imaging devices to help with visualization during the procedure, while Gasson’s team performed the intricate surgical work.
Opening Cookie’s abdomen revealed “a big ball of abnormal vessels,” making it difficult to identify the primary problematic vessel — the one connected directly to his aorta — by sight alone, according to Gasson.
“It looked kind of how I was expecting it to look based on his pre-op imaging,” she said. “But it was definitely not something I’ve ever seen in any patient before.”
The IR team’s imaging tools were crucial in guiding the surgery.
“Our technology allowed us to visualize the tangled vessels and guide the surgical team to the precise location,” Cook said. “Without it, finding the right vessel would have been nearly impossible.”
Thanks to the coordinated effort, Gasson was able to tie off the problematic vessel from each side, halting the abnormal blood flow.
“It was brilliant surgery,” Cook said. “She located the vessel perfectly and closed it with precision.”
A Special Case
Cookie’s surgery was a testament to the collaboration and expertise at Texas A&M’s SATH. The IR and Soft Tissue Surgery teams worked seamlessly together, demonstrating the value of combining specialties.
“Just being able to visualize what we needed surgically required the expertise of both teams,” Gasson said. “Not every veterinary specialty hospital has that kind of collaboration between services.”
Cook echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the educational value of the case.
“This was a once-in-a-lifetime case,” Cook said. “We don’t often see AVMs like Cookie’s, and it gave us an incredible opportunity to learn and grow. What we gained from this will help us save more pets in the future.”
Both teams gained valuable experience by working outside their typical areas of expertise, with each bringing their unique skills to the case.
“Everyone brought something different to the table,” Gasson said. “The surgeons aren’t always as comfortable with interpreting radiographic images, and the IR clinicians don’t typically perform abdominal surgeries, so we leaned on each other’s strengths.”
Cookie’s Road To Wellness
Cookie’s recovery was slow at the start, but, with time and care, he began to improve. Soon, his blood work had almost returned to normal, the fluid buildup was gone, and his energy had returned.
“He’s gained weight and rebuilt his muscles,” Cook said. “He just looks absolutely transformed.”
The Strange family’s trust in the team also played a key role in Cookie’s recovery, with doctors expressing their gratitude for the family’s confidence in letting them take on Cookie’s rare condition.
For Strange, this trust was deeply influenced by her friends’ experiences at Texas A&M.
“We didn’t even know about the veterinary hospital until some friends told me they had taken their dog there,” Strange said. “They told us how amazing their experience was and what to expect, like how the students would call you with updates — and they did. Even the night before surgery, students called to let me know how Cookie was doing. Everything happened just as my friend said it would.”
This personal connection, combined with the constant support from the medical team, gave Strange confidence, even in such an uncertain situation. The consistent communication and compassionate care made all the difference during Cookie’s journey.
“All of the doctors who worked on Cookie’s case, as well as the students, were amazing,” Strange said. “We are beyond thankful.”
Now back at home, Cookie has resumed his role as a beloved family member, bringing joy and laughter back to the Strange household.
“We’ve created a monster,” Strange said, laughing. “He was active before, but now he’s even more so. He really means everything to us. I tell my husband all the time — I don’t know what we would’ve done without him.”
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Contact Information: Jennifer Gauntt, Director of VMBS Communications, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, jgauntt@cvm.tamu.edu, 979-862-4216
