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What is the prognosis for hemangiosarcoma
This past Saturday my BSD was frail and lifeless. The normally rambunctious girl who always bounded out of bed was unable to stand. An immediate trip to the vet and an ultrasound indicated her belly was full of bloody fluid and she had a mass the size of a sponge on her spleen. They gave her fluids and her blood pressure stabilized enough so that we could bring her home for lots of love and one last meal she spent her final night with us in bed and the next day I made the most difficult decision. We put her down.
I can't stop thinking that there might have been a cure or something more I could have done. It all happened so fast. Why is there not more about this cancer? Why can we not cure it or stop it before it is too late? I didn't want to let her go but could I have done more?
I can't stop thinking that there might have been a cure or something more I could have done. It all happened so fast. Why is there not more about this cancer? Why can we not cure it or stop it before it is too late? I didn't want to let her go but could I have done more?
COMMUNITY LEADER
I can imagine you are devastated, doogymom. I was after my girl passed. We were so very close.
It does seem unfair.
Hemangiosarcoma originates in the bone marrow actually, not the spleen. The spleen filters blood, and that is why it becomes the main target for tumours.
There seems to be little which can be done yet to prevent it. I spoke to the vet about it, wondering if anything environmental could have caused it. Although my dog lived one month off 15 years, on healthy food and a healthy lifestyle in the countryside, where she was incredibly happy. It seemed she would go on forever!
The vet explained to me that the main cause was genetic. That somewhere in her genetic history, there was a Hemangiosarcoma history. It had been passed down the line, and nothing I did or didn't do could have changed that.
I hope that one day they will find the gene responsible for this and be able to do something. Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, and some other breeds are more prone to it. But any breed can get it.
It does seem unfair.
Hemangiosarcoma originates in the bone marrow actually, not the spleen. The spleen filters blood, and that is why it becomes the main target for tumours.
There seems to be little which can be done yet to prevent it. I spoke to the vet about it, wondering if anything environmental could have caused it. Although my dog lived one month off 15 years, on healthy food and a healthy lifestyle in the countryside, where she was incredibly happy. It seemed she would go on forever!
The vet explained to me that the main cause was genetic. That somewhere in her genetic history, there was a Hemangiosarcoma history. It had been passed down the line, and nothing I did or didn't do could have changed that.
I hope that one day they will find the gene responsible for this and be able to do something. Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, and some other breeds are more prone to it. But any breed can get it.
Thank you both. While I know there wasn't anything I could do to save her and not just cause her continued suffering, I wish the medical community was doing more. This disease is basically a death sentence. It seems so unfair.
Your words were comforting as I struggle with the choice I have been forced to make. I imagine time will help but I am devastated right now.
Your words were comforting as I struggle with the choice I have been forced to make. I imagine time will help but I am devastated right now.
COMMUNITY LEADER
I am so very sorry for your loss. My own girl passed from Hemangiosarcoma. I think one of the hardest things about this cancer is it comes as such a sudden shock. One moment they seem fine -the next they are having an internal bleed.
It is very very difficult -even more or less impossible -for either a dog's caretaker, or the vet to know Hemangiosarcoma is present until there is a sudden collapse or internal bleed. Even if the splenic tumour is found when it is smaller, that still won't help a lot, as it is a blood vessel cancer, and will have spread via the blood by that stage.
In my honest opinion, you did the right thing. After diagnosis, my own dog lived only a few days. The vet suspected Hemangiosarcoma 2 weeks earlier, but my dog seemed quite well. Then she had an internal bleed. She recovered after about 48 hours. I could not have her put to sleep, because she still had some decent quality of life.....but unfortunately only for 6 days -when a HUGE internal bleed came, and I opted to let her go.
I let her go because even if she had survived THAT one, another could come at any time, hours, or days later. I couldn't let her keep going through that. The bleeding completely floored her.
There is no cure. Not yet. I hope there will be one day. Chemo can only give a few weeks' extra life, if that, and does not cure it. And surgery....many bleed out on the table. Those who don't have quite a hurdle to get over splenectomy, and have only weeks/ maybe a few months at the most left. The reason being that the cancer has spread like wildfire already by that stage.
My thoughts go out to you, and I am very very sorry
It is very very difficult -even more or less impossible -for either a dog's caretaker, or the vet to know Hemangiosarcoma is present until there is a sudden collapse or internal bleed. Even if the splenic tumour is found when it is smaller, that still won't help a lot, as it is a blood vessel cancer, and will have spread via the blood by that stage.
In my honest opinion, you did the right thing. After diagnosis, my own dog lived only a few days. The vet suspected Hemangiosarcoma 2 weeks earlier, but my dog seemed quite well. Then she had an internal bleed. She recovered after about 48 hours. I could not have her put to sleep, because she still had some decent quality of life.....but unfortunately only for 6 days -when a HUGE internal bleed came, and I opted to let her go.
I let her go because even if she had survived THAT one, another could come at any time, hours, or days later. I couldn't let her keep going through that. The bleeding completely floored her.
There is no cure. Not yet. I hope there will be one day. Chemo can only give a few weeks' extra life, if that, and does not cure it. And surgery....many bleed out on the table. Those who don't have quite a hurdle to get over splenectomy, and have only weeks/ maybe a few months at the most left. The reason being that the cancer has spread like wildfire already by that stage.
My thoughts go out to you, and I am very very sorry
I am so sorry you lost your girl. This is not an unusual Cancer in dogs, unfortunately. Often, by the time symptoms appear, there is little treatment that can be done. If detected early, sometimes surgery can be done to remove the tumor but the prognosis still is not promising in most cases. There is research being done by CHF, I believe, looking for genetic markers, breeds more predisposed, testing and treatment. Of course, this all takes time and money.
There is probably nothing you could have done that would have resulted in a different outcome. Sometimes, even surgery might only postpone the inevitable for a few weeks or months with early detection.
I lost a Sheltie years ago. She was fine in the morning, active and ate her food. No sign of sickness. Came home to find Her down and in shock. Rushed to the Vet where she passed. I had a necropsy done and a large tumor was found on her liver that had ruptured. Very hard to deal with but we have to realize that, even through our best efforts to care for and love our pets, things happen.
Again, so sorry for your loss.
There is probably nothing you could have done that would have resulted in a different outcome. Sometimes, even surgery might only postpone the inevitable for a few weeks or months with early detection.
I lost a Sheltie years ago. She was fine in the morning, active and ate her food. No sign of sickness. Came home to find Her down and in shock. Rushed to the Vet where she passed. I had a necropsy done and a large tumor was found on her liver that had ruptured. Very hard to deal with but we have to realize that, even through our best efforts to care for and love our pets, things happen.
Again, so sorry for your loss.
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