LSU live mascot Mike the Tiger was “a week or two” from death prior to receiving radiation treatment, according to an in-depth update on his status by Rebekah Allen of The Advocate.
Allen spoke to LSU vetrinerian David Baker about Mike’s treatment.
“It’s my perception that had we not done this treatment when we did it, I think in a week or two, it would have been too late,” Baker said. “So it was good that we did it.”
Following the radiation treatment, which took place after regular patient hours on June 1 at Mary Bird Perkins-Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center, the swelling that displaced Mike’s right eye has gone down significantly. Allen reports that it is not clear yet whether the swelling has gone down due to a reduction in inflammation or because the lemon-sized tumor has shrunk.
Despite the success of the treatment, Baker said it does not change Mike’s long-term prognosis of terminal.
“Will it be six months? Will it be eight months? Will it be two years and two months?” he asked rhetorically. “There’s no way to know.”
While the treatment is not a cure, Baker is happy to see Mike doing better.
“We’re very, very thankful we were able to do that treatment,” he said. “Now he’s behaving normal, and he looks great. Nobody could look at that tiger and tell that he has a tumor.”
Mike VI was diagnosed with spindle cell sarcoma last month. He has received an outpouring of support from around the college sports community, including other live mascots.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
