Hemangiosarcoma liver & spleen (Canine cancer)

[holly02]

I just put down my dog of 9 years who exhibited all the classic symptoms but every symptom was "relayed" by her on individual days... starting with the most severe first (she bled internally which caused all sorts of faint problems that were hard to pin down by two vet visits).

I finally took her to Dove Lewis Clinic (emergency clinic in Oregon) and felt like i was over-reacting and come to find out that she was stage three and close to death.

The hardest part was that she - just before putting her down - acted like she was nothing more than slightly out of breath and as happy and animated as she could of been - she was ready to go home - that was so hard.

I just wondered if anyone else had the same type of health issues with their pets and did they have the classic symptoms and whether or not this is a rare form of cancer in dogs or is it common. I know that it is similar to lymphoma and acts on the cells that travel through the blood from the spleen and liver.

I had never heard of anything like it - before last night at 2am.
My dog did not show any obvious symptoms until 6 days ago and they were vague (and my vet was highly ready to diagnose "spondylitis of the spine" until I persisted) ... and then went outside to the emergency center and did not wait for the blood draw results ... had better xrays taken and they did the needle biopsy of the intra-abdominal fluid which showed internal bleeding (heavy). They said she was just a stoic type of patient and that she really hid her pain or uncomfortableness very well.

We miss her alot. She was an Akita longhaired and tri-colored and had a huge puppy-brain her whole life... I am going to upload her picture I took a couple of months ago to the gallery under "Noopy"
Her name on the picture is Keena... you know how pet nick-names go from one evolution to the next and before you know it the name she started with was something completely different...

That's my nooper-duper!!
RIP stinky breath dog !!

Holly

[holly02]

Originally Posted by holly02

I just put down my dog of 9 years who exhibited all the classic symptoms but every symptom was "relayed" by her on individual days... starting with the most severe first (she bled internally which caused all sorts of faint problems that were hard to pin down by two vet visits).

I finally took her to Dove Lewis Clinic (emergency clinic in Oregon) and felt like i was over-reacting and come to find out that she was stage three and close to death.

The hardest part was that she - just before putting her down - acted like she was nothing more than slightly out of breath and as happy and animated as she could of been - she was ready to go home - that was so hard.

I just wondered if anyone else had the same type of health issues with their pets and did they have the classic symptoms and whether or not this is a rare form of cancer in dogs or is it common. I know that it is similar to lymphoma and acts on the cells that travel through the blood from the spleen and liver.

I had never heard of anything like it - before last night at 2am.
My dog did not show any obvious symptoms until 6 days ago and they were vague (and my vet was highly ready to diagnose "spondylitis of the spine" until I persisted) ... and then went outside to the emergency center and did not wait for the blood draw results ... had better xrays taken and they did the needle biopsy of the intra-abdominal fluid which showed internal bleeding (heavy). They said she was just a stoic type of patient and that she really hid her pain or uncomfortableness very well.

We miss her alot. She was an Akita longhaired and tri-colored and had a huge puppy-brain her whole life... I am going to upload her picture I took a couple of months ago to the gallery under "Noopy"
Her name on the picture is Keena... you know how pet nick-names go from one evolution to the next and before you know it the name she started with was something completely different...

That's my nooper-duper!!
RIP stinky breath dog !!

Holly

Dogs are the most loyal animals in the world.

[Mellie]

Holly,
I read the title of this thread and immediately felt sick to my stomach. I lost my precious Waldo 5/27/05, to hemangiosarcoma of the spleen.
Waldo's symptoms did not suddenly appear. We were aware he had cancer 4 days after we adopted him (at the time he went in for his vet visit). We did everything we could for him during the next 6 months he was with us. I still wish I could've saved him. He was my scrappy-doodle.
I am currently in school for Veterinary Technology. We were required to write a research paper last semester. Waldo was still with me at that time, so I chose to present him as a case study on hemangiosarcoma of the spleen. I did extensive research on this cancer, not only for the paper, but from the moment I knew his diagnosis.
I could really tell you pages worth of information from off the top of my head. But I do not want to go on and on in my post. If you're ok with that, let me know and I'll answer any questions to the best of my ability. Or you can pm me with questions and I can share everything I know and went through.
I am very sorry for your loss. My thoughts are with you. I am sure your nooper-duper has made friends with my scrappy-doodle at the Rainbow Bridge. Waldo always was a ladies man.

[holly02]

Yes tell me all you want to tell ... I want to know all about it and (I can understand the medical lingo pretty well)

Keena's Story started like this;

Saturday night 7 days ago perfectly normal took her for a ride in the car, played, barking at passing cars at home as usual - ate two cups of kibble (I had been feeding her "nutritional support Pedigree brand" for over a year and only occasionally Iam's lamb for adult dogs.
She liked vegies as well and always got table scraps and had a huge sweet tooth which i sometimes indulged....(Feel Guilty) She maintained her own weight and never overate but had lost 8 lbs on the first visit to the vet on monday

Sunday morning 6 days ago - I woke up at 730am and made coffee and called to her to let her out to potty and she just laid there. she rolled her eyes to look toward me but would absolutely not get up unless I talked to her like she was being scolded. I realize now she just wanted to do what I said and pushed through all the pain.

As she got to her feet she stumbled and fell on her face two times and hunched her belly up under her and held her head down straight, with low hanging tail and ears drooped down.

She looked as if she had a sore back but also displayed the "nausea look" like "oh no i'm gonna vomit while she rolled her eyes".

I watched her all day because at times intermittantly she would brighten up and look straight into my eyes with her ears perked and that smelly smile of hers...

- monday took her to the vet they did physical exam - she showed no signs of any physical pain - and they took two "spine xrays" which found (after the fact only incidental) spondolosis on one vertibrae which I already assumed because she had been circling before she laiys down for over two years and had an acl tear two years earlier and favored her right hind.
Anyway, the vet on that day gave me Rimadyl to give chewable 100 mg in morning and 100mg at night.

by day four she would not eat unless it was enticing like carob creme cookies for dogs and had not passed stool since sunday morning which looked colored by the pedigree brand food but now I wonder if the color was blood and was runny - diarrhea. That was the last time she had a stool pass and by day 4 I took her off the rimadyl because it seemed to make her worse and then she vomited grennish yellow frothy bile by the back door (just this one time) at this time she was walking normal again (after the rimadyl was stopped)(which made her drool and sleep full time) and I decided to make appointment to bring her back into the vet for day 6 friday - and they drew blood but woulnd't get result till morning today...

Last night at 2am I checked her into the emergency clinic and she was bloating in the abdomen (very stoic) but getting brighter in the eyes but her tail was still drooping... she was eating treats but wouldn't eat anything with alot of bulk in it.

All week she had been urinating and drinking water with increasing intensity but it all happened very abruptly and then spiralled out of control...

For the entire week she exhibited shortness of breath which was "sloughed off" as her "showing her pain" by my vet (which was a substitue that I had not worked with before as my 13 year vet had been away on both days she needed to be seen).

Keena had also played with me a little in the back yard and so I really didn't know what was going on but I knew i didn't like the diagnosis of Spondylosis - there were too many vauge things going on that resembled "blockage of her intestines" and I've been constipated before so I know that could of been causing severe pain so I took her in and they took more blood CBC and took several xrays............

Bottom line her entire right side from the shoulder to her hip was solid white with fluid (taken from above) and the left side (from above) was "spiderwebbed" with mestasis and or fluid.

her chest xrays showed a large mass (just smaller than her heart) between her heart and lung tissue which had a black hole in the center of it... the attending vet said it could be attachment to the heart muscle but there was so much fluid opaque on the film that it was hard to tell...

then her abdominal xrays showed blood in the abdominal cavity and her spleen (either obstructed by the fluid or eaten away) and her lower portion of liver was (or between the two) was a huge mass that extended all across her body and bowels.

They aspired her abdominal cavity and her platelets were at 18 percent (white gums and dark red tounge) and she had nearly solid (69%blood to fluid ratio) in her body cavity.

She still only exhibited the shorness of breath and white gums and droopy tail when she was put down...

I gave her carob cookies until she wanted no more and let her lap up peanut butter from the spoon until i thought she was ready to go and she was still licking her lips as she went to sleep.

I feel good that I was able to take time with her before because she was "stable" but it all happened so fast and I have never heard of this kind of aggressive of a cancer in dogs.... i had a white cat once with skin cancer which was put down eventually but never this kind of blood cancer...

They believe it started in the liver and spleen and quickly spread over her chest lungs, heart, and bowels.

She never had a chance she was already in stage three when she finally showed symtoms. And i knew that dog - I knew immediately when on sunday she wasn't right.

It's almost shoking and so i want to know how prevalant this is and do Akitas get prone to this or just large dog breeds in general.

She was 9years old and the youngest death of a family animal i have ever experienced.

thank you for responding... and i hope there are more as well ...i want to know about it and how she differed from other cases....

Thank you for responding....

[WingedFoal]

I haven't heard much about this type of cancer, but thank you for coming here and talking about it. I'm very sorry for your loss of Keena. She sounded like a sweet girl. I hope you get the info you want and need.... there are many people here that may have it.

[Mellie]

LONG POST WARNING!
This information is all taken from my research paper, which I changed to be less medical and clinical. I excluded some parts about Waldo, and a bunch of other stuff to shorten it. And I included a bibliography at the end so you can click on those links for more info. And I wanted to cite those references on here, anyway, since legally it must be done in a research paper. I bolded some bits of information that I thought were relevant to your situation.
So, here goes....

Hemengiosarcomas can theoretically arise from any tissue where there are blood vessels, but the spleen is a classical location in veterinary medicine. The malignant form is more common in canines than in any other animal species. [Theilin, DVM et al. 167]
The spleen is a large and oblong organ, located just below the stomach, on the left of the abdomen. It serves a number of functions. These include acting as a storage house for blood; supporting the synthesis of antibodies; producing erythrocytes (red blood cells) when the bone marrow fails to produce a sufficient amount; providing a reservoir for phagocytes (white blood cells involved in the immune response) that remove bacteria from the blood; and removing old or damaged erythrocytes and red blood cell fragments from the bloodstream. [What is Splenomegaly?] Iron from the damaged red blood cells is captured and recycled by the spleen.
All aforementioned functions "are part of what is called the 'red pulp' of the spleen." [Splenic Masses] The red pulp is highly vascular; it is made up of many blood storage spaces and blood vessels. Spleens of the dog have specialized channels, one endothelial layer thick, to further facilitate the filtration of blood. Erythrocytes, leukocytes (white blood cells) and platelets pass through these channels on their way to venules. Blood may pass through the red pulp of the spleen slowly or quickly, depending upon whether the spleen is in a storage state or a contracted state. [ Splenic Masses] The red pulp in canine spleens is ideally suited to shunt blood through the spleen and into venous circulation or to store large numbers of red blood cells when appropriate. [Thomson, DVM 305]
The spleen is a common site of abdominal endothelial cell growth. Hemangiosarcomas "consist of endothelial lined blood-containing channels" [Thomson, DVM 305]; grow directly from the blood vessels of the red pulp; and amount to a bunch of wildly proliferating abnormal blood vessels. The vessels may be small or distended. Microscopically, there is occupation of the red pulp of the spleen by neoplastic cells. [Thomson, DVM 306] Benign tumors can sometimes be so extensive that surgical removal is impossible. Hemangiosarcomas are insidious, as they attempt to build their own blood vessel networks. They create blood blister-like formations that disrupt normal organ functions. [Thomson, DVM 8]
Since benign and malignant splenic masses are blood-filled, life threatening bleeding can occur if they rupture. Further, hemangiosarcomas can rapidly spread to other organs. [Jones, DVM] They tend to metastasize through hematogenous routes (via the bloodstream or circulation) or transabdominal implantation. A majority of dogs can have metastasis by the time of diagnosis. Regardless of the presense or absence of metastasis, splenic tumors can get quite large before they are ever noticed due to the location of the spleen in the body. Severe clinical signs of disease may not appear until long after the tumor arises. This cancer is "commonly in the advanced stage before detection, making it virtually a silent killer'" [Hemangiosarcoma website] Indeed, it is estimated that an average of six to eight weeks pass from the time of discovery of the tumor until death. [Hemangiosarcoma website]
Patients with localized forms of the tumor have a more favorable prognosis than those with metastatic disease. Early detection is of key importance to extend survivability for the dog and improve quality of life. "The diagnostic process attempts to localize the primary tumor, to determine its extent, and to determine if there are distant metastases.... Unfortunately, many of the techniques capable of diagnosis of cancer during its early development are performed with expensive specialized equipment operated by highly trained personnal; these are luxuries afforded by few veterinary institutions...." [Theilen, DVM et al 3] Most veterinarians must begin with presumptive diagnoses. A presumptive diagnosis can be made based on history, breed, age, physical examination findings, clinical signs, and blood work.
History is the only basis that might be completely unavailable to the veteranarian. Often times, specific breeds are more susceptible or predisposed to certain cancers. But no real breed predilection could be determined for hemangiosarcoma. There does appear to be a gender (male) and age (adult to senior) predilection. [Hemangiosarcoma, Spleen and Liver website] A physical examination can help to determine if a splenic mass is present. Splenomegaly (enlargement of the spleen) may be visible and/or palpable during a routine physical examination. (A splenic mass was palpated on Waldo at the time of his first visit to the veterinary clinic after adoption). Such a finding by itself does not narrow the field of possible prognosis. Splenomegaly may be caused by a variety of conditions, including, but not limited to, parasitic infections, splenic torsion, destruction of red and white blood cells, and tumors.
Observable and reportable clinical signs are often of greatest diagnostic importance to the examining veterinarian. [Jones, DVM] The growth of cancer can lead to significant changes in host organs and functions. "The overall result is cachexia, a syndrome characterized by weakness, anorexia, and depletion or redistribution of host components." [Theilen, DVM et al 7-8] (Waldo appeared to be anorexic, but his appetite for food had not diminished during his cancer progression. He ate alot and often. However, due to the cancer's alteration of vital functions, Waldo suffered from protein depletion and insufficient absorption of food.) Weight loss is a common clinical sign in dogs with hemangiosarcoma. (Waldo also had signs of pallor - pale mucous membrane color - and episodes of sudden weakness and hypovolemic shock - reduced blood volume and fluid loss due to blood loss... clinical signs secondary to tumor rupture and hemorrhage.) Eventually, all hemangiosarcomas rupture and the spleen bleeds. Sudden death can occur from sudden rupture of the tumor or acute blood loss into the abdominal cavity. [Jones, DVM] An actively bleeding splenic tumor is a medical emergency. Fortunately for some dogs, the bleeding may stop on its own. The dog will show marked improvement the next day or even a few hours later. (Waldo had several of these episodes, which manifested as extreme weakness or fainting. Exactly what your dog went through.) "Unfortunately, the splenic mass is certain to bleed again." [Splenic Masses website] Inevitably, the dog will bleed to death. [
(Waldo's basic blood panel surely proved recurrent episodes of blood loss. His CBC - complete blood count - results showed an abnormally high number of white blood cells, and a low number of red blood cells. Differential results showed an abnormally high number of neutrophils and band neutrophils. These results indicated regenerative anemia, which is associated with active erythropoiesis - red blood cell production.) The recurring bleeds and loss of erythrocytes from the spleen cause the regenerative shift, which is an appropraite response to the bleeding situations. Immature band cells are kicked into circulation, before they can completely mature, to compensate for the loss of mature cells. "These findings on the blood panel are especially suggestive of a splenic mass if there has been a history of sudden weakness or collapse typical of a recent bleed. Splenic tumors tend to bleed chronically and slowly... prior to a large bleed...." [Splenic Masses website] Not surprisingly, anemia is the most common clinical pathology finding in patients with cancer. [Theilen, DVM et al 9] (Waldo's regenerative anemia is just one of several typesof anemia that may accompany cancer.)
Obviously, much valuable information can be gathered by simple, effective, and inexpensive methods such as the physical examination, blood panel, etc, already mentioned. Once a hemangiosarcoma is suspected, further tests are necessary for a definitive diagnosis. For example, radiographs or ultrasounds will confirm that a mass is present and determine any tumor metastasis. [JOnes, DVM] If there is evidence of tumor spread on chest radiographs, one can be certain the tumor is malignant. "In this case, it is likely too late to effect meaningful treatment. If no evidence of tumor spread is present, the mass may be benign, or it may simply have produced tumor spread too small to see." [Splenic Masses website]
Prior to surgery, it may not be certain in the tumor is benign or malignant. Surgery is the initial treatment of choice for either hemangioma (benign) or hemangiosarcom (malignant). "Splenectomy (surgical removal of the spleen) is routinely performed when cancer is suspected to minimize complications and to limit the entry of tumor cells into circulation." [What is Spenomegaly? website] Removal of the spleen is curative treatment for a hemangioma, provided that the dog has not lost too much blood to survive the surgery. In a case of malignant hemangiosarcoma, surgery offers the best prognosis even though many times it is just palliative. With the removal of the spleen and the primary malignant tumor, the dog is spared death by bleeding to death only to eventually succumb to cancer due to the high rate of metastasis.
There are several issues to understand and questions to answer before splenectomy is performed. "Ideally, the splenic mass is detected before it has ever bled and the spleen is removed when the mass is not actively bleeding." [Splenic Masses website] However, the spleen may bleed at any moment up until it is actually removed. If the splenic mass is actively bleeding, the situation is a surgical emergency -- it is not advisable to wait until the bleeding has stopped. The canine patient could potentially bleed to death during a surgical attempt to save it from eventually bleeding to death! [Jones, DVM] If once the patient's belly is open in surgery, and a malignant tumor is confirmed, the operating veterinarian must already know the client's wishes. Does one choose euthanasia at this point? Surely this is a question no dog owner wants to contemplate. But the sad reality is that removal of the spleen and continued adjuvant therapy might have limited success in prolonging survival time and increasing quality of life. [Jones, DVM] Does one continue with the splenectomy so chemotherapy and after-care teatments can be considered? Hope is forever present for many dog owners that continued treatment is the best course of action. Does one choose simply to close the incision and awaken the dog? In a case where surgery and treatment still offer sucj a guarded prognosis, it is not unusual to discontinue invasive methods and allow the dog to live as is up until the cancer takes its ultimate toll.
Owners of dogs with no clinical signs and benign splenic masses may opt not to have surgery performed. The dog should be monitored over time. The potential is always present for a benign mass to develop into a malignant mass. [Jones, DVM] There is also the potential of rupture and bleed from which the dog cannot recover. The veterinarian must warn of all possible complications, but must never influence the dog owner's decision.
(Waldo lived with the cancerous mass inside him. Surgery was never an option for him. Upon adoption, Waldo had surgery for a separate, unrelated issue. He just barely survived. In fact, the surgery was stopped short due to Waldo's inability to maintain homeostasis while under anasthesia. The veterinarian and veterinary technicians on hand could not keep him stabilized. It was known from that experience, and a previous experience with heartworm treatment, that Waldo would not survive another surgery. He had been through so much in his life already. His age and overall health were important factors to consider. Waldo's course of "treatment" involved palliative initiatives, and regular ultrasound monitoring. A cure was not attainable. The only hope for Waldo was prolonged survival and good quality of life.)
Canine hemangiosarcoma has a grave prognosis for all effected. Treatments only stave off the inevitable for a little longer. Reported survival time after surgery alone is two to three months. The addition of chemotherapy increases the median survival time to four to sx months. [Hemangiosarcoma website] Despite the most effective available treatments for this disease, most dogs will succumb to the cancer.
************************************************** **

Bibliography:
"Hemangiosarcoma." Canine Cancer Awareness. 2005. 08 Apr. 2005. http:www.caninecancerawareness.org/Canine Cancer - Hemangiosarcoma.html

"Hemangiosarcoma, Spleen and Liver." VetMedCenter. 2000. 08 Apr. 2005. http://consumer.vetmedcenter.com/con...60647.htm&dt=C

Jones, DVM, Kim. Hanover Veterinary Clinic. Personal interview.

"Splenic Masses." When the Spleen Grows a Mass: A Dog's Perspective. 26 Feb 2003. Mar Vista Animal Medical Center. 08 Apr. 2005 http://www.marvistavet.com/html/Body...ic_masses.html

Theilen, DVM, Gordon H., and Bruce R. Madewell, VMD, MS. Veterinary Cancer Medicine. 1 ed. London: Balliere Tindall, 1979.

Thomson, DVM, Reginald. Special Veterinary Pathology. 1 ed. Toronto: B.C. Decker, Inc., 1988.

"What is Splenomegaly?." Pet Health Center. 23 Oct 2000. 2nd Chance Sanctuary. 08 Apr. 2005. http://www.pethealthcenter.org/showp...=115&Private=0
************************************************** **

If you have any further questions that I might not have covered, feel free to ask more or send me a pm.
I hope this gave you some closure about what your dog had, and the fact that you did what you could with the information you had at the time.
RIP Keena.

[holly02]

Thank You so much.

My husband and I read through everything we could find and we feel we did the right thing and so she wouldn't suffer. Its a very sad disease and to think if people could afford to do checkup xrays once a year they might be able to catch something like that early enough to extend life to the limit. It's just a shocking and catch you by surprise disease....

Thank you again for the information I fully understood it and I sure hope it did well for you in your schooling .. (Good Work!!) You have demystified it sure enough....

Keena I think was one of the "grave" cases but she's romping in green grass now and can breathe deep again...

Thanks, Holly and Matt

[Mellie]

You're welcome!
I'm glad I could help with some information.
I can imagine how difficult your situation must've been.
Living with Waldo and his cancer was bittersweet. Every day I wondered if that day was his time to leave me, and every day I hoped it wasn't. I made sure to spoil him all I could with love, attention, fun, happiness.... It was important for me to celebrate his life despite having his inevitable death looming over my head.
We eventually made the decision to euthanize Waldo. His last ultrasound confirmed all our worst fears. He was already dying inside. On our way up to the door of the Vet Clinic, another dog was on its way out. Waldo and this dog stopped to greet each other. Waldo's butt wiggled like a classic Springer's would. He adored other dogs. After the other dog passed, Waldo happily trotted up to the door. It was heartbreaking, but at the same time, it was nice for him to have had that happy moment.
I know the decision was for the best. He probably would have lived another week or two, tops, and his death then would have been miserable.
It's always hard when they leave us. But knowing we did all we could for them while with us, and made every decision with their best interests in mind, is sometimes helpful.
Now I've rambled...
I just haven't found anyone else who has had an experience with the same thing, and it's bringing back a lot of memories..
So thanks for listening to my side.

Take care. I hope your tears are soon replaced by smiles.

[Jenjeanne]

I just lost my dog to Hemangiosarcoma on 8/28/05. He was only 8-1/2 years old (Golden Retriever). I spent the whole next day crying and grieving over this tremendous loss. I spent the following day (today) reading as much as I could about this terrible disease. My understanding is that approximately 3% of dogs get this disease, with German Shepherds and Golden Retrievers being most likely. I chose to have a tumor removed from my dog 5 months ago and then I went to an alternate vet who altered my dog's diet and gave him various supplements. I was hoping that my dog would live at least a year or two more, but that didn't happen. I truly feel for you, Holly.

[Jenjeanne]

I just had another concern and wondered if anyone knows anything about this. When my dog was having an episode of weakness, lack of appetite and depression, I described the situation to my vet and he said it may be a problem with impacted anul glands. Now, keep in mind that this is the same alternative vet that was treating my dog for the Hemangiosarcoma. Now that I've read up on this cancer and read your research information, Mellie, I would have thought that it would be obvious to the vet that these symptoms were a sign of the cancer and the internal bleeding. Any thoughts??

[Mellie]

Interesting, Jenjeanne.
The first thing my vet warned me about was the potential for rupture and bleeding. This was a major concern of the hemangiosarcoma. I was told that any sign of bleeding (such as an weak/fainting episode, pale gums, disorientation, etc)) is considered an emergency to a vet. I was advised to wrap the abdominal area with an ace bandage when a bleeding episode was expected, because that could help control the bleeding until the dog could be brought in.
I am surprised your vet never considered this with a known diagnosis of hemangiosarcoma. But you mentioned your vet is an alternative vet. Mine is a surgical vet, and may have been more familiar with these complications. Just a thought.
I am truly sorry for your loss. I still think about my Waldo on a daily basis. Cancer is such a hard thing to deal with when it happens to a loved one.

[Jenjeanne]

Thank you so much, Mellie, for responding. I hurt so much every day and I find it necessary to really get as much information as possible, as this seems to help me deal with the loss better. Based upon what you have said, it sounds like my vet doesn't know that much about Hemangiosarcoma...this concerns me. My dog had several episodes of weakness and disorientation prior to succumbing to this cancer. Each time I just waited them out and he always got better...thankfully! Of course, this last time he did not Prior to beginning treatment with an alternative vet, I had a regular vet who diagnosed the problem and removed the spleen (along with a 5 pound tumor). This regular vet told me a story about his dog having Hemangiosarcoma and how he gave his dog chemotherapy. He went on to say that he loved his dog so much that he wanted to do whatever he could to prolong his dog's life. He said he wished he had never done the chemo because the last few months of his dog's life were not pleasant due to the chemo's side effects. He had no other options for me so I turned to an alternative practioner. Since you have studied this disease extensively, do you know if Hemangiosarcoma is something a dog inherits from its parents? If not, was there something I could have done to have prevented this? I gave my dog a very good commercial food (Innova) with no meat by-products. I gave him only filtered water. He was an indoor dog but got plenty of exercise (we live on half an acre). I miss him so much that life almost seems unbearable now. I work out of my home and all day long my dog, Lucky, and I were together to keep each other company...now I am alone. I am so sorry, too, for your loss. You really didn't have much time with Waldo and that makes me feel sad. Thank you for all the information you have provided here on this thread!

[Mellie]

Jenjeanne, considering Lucky's condition, I believe you did all you could for him.
Hemangiosarcoma of the liver/spleen is a terrible cancer. Like I mentioned in a previous post, once it is diagnosed, it is often in too late of a stage to cure it. Even a splenectomy and after-care therapies (such as chemo) only prolong life for another couple months at best. Removal of the spleen/mass is only curative if there has been no other cancer spread within the body. If a dog does not die quickly from a sudden rupture, then it will eventually succumb to the cancer. It really is a grave prognosis. I'm not sure about there being a genetic component to the disease. I do know that an early diagnosis is extremely important in order to treat it properly. But the sad fact is, it is often a cancer that is only diagnosed once it has progressed so far.
You may hear inspiring stories of complete recovery/remission, but those are rare in a hemangiosarcoma case.
Please do not beat yourself up over your loss. You did what you could with the knowledge you had, and spent your days making your Lucky's life as comfortable as possible.
We had Waldo on a special cancer diet to fight malabsorption; we gave him fluid therapy twice a week to counter dehydration; we only exercised him as he wanted, and took him in the baby jogger during runs and long hikes so he wouldn't be excluded; and so much more.
Waldo could not have surgery (for various reasons) to remove the mass. The cancer had spread too much for surgery to be effective, anyhow. Basically, we just had to make his life as comfortable and happy as we could until his inevitable death. We did our best to focus on making each day happy for him as we struggled with the knowledge that he was dying inside.
I, myself, have struggled with guilty feelings of "Maybe I could have done more." That's only a natural part of the grieving process. But I know in my heart I did everything I could for him. We had a short time together, but he is forever with me.
Waldo was the second beloved Springer I lost within this year. Any loss is difficult. I'm sure, like me, you might never truly be over losing such loved ones. But as time goes by, it is easier to remember happy times and smile at the memories you have.
My heart goes out to you. Take comfort that Lucky has made a friend in Waldo over the Rainbow Bridge.

[Jenjeanne]

Hi Mellie - Again, thank you for taking the time to help me. I truly appreciate your encouraging words and helpful information. I will try to come to terms with this loss and I recognize that so many others, such as yourself, have had great losses also. I guess I did all that I could. I don't know how you have dealt so well with two losses this year. You will probably always remember 2005 as a sad year. Someone told me that they became so sad from the loss of their pet that they vowed never again to get another pet...they could not bear going through such sadness again. Thankfully we don't all feel that way or there wouldn't be any hope for the many homeless pets. Sharing my story with you has truly been like bereavement counseling to me....again, thank you.