Prognosis of Hemangiosarcoma in Dogs

The prognosis for dogs that survive with hemangiosarcoma is very poor. I have searched the internet for answers ever since my dog ​​Moebert died from this horrible disease. Hemangiosarcoma is a very aggressive type of cancer, very persistent, and can spread rapidly to other parts of the body to other tissues, especially the liver, lungs, and abdominal lining. Hemangio (sarcoma) a blood-fed sarcoma; which means that blood vessels grow directly into the tumor and it usually fills with blood.

For when you see any “clinical signs” such as pale gums, cold to the touch (body, mouth, and nose), shortness of breath, abdominal swelling, just to name a few. it would probably be too late as it was with Moebert.

The sooner the vet diagnoses and treats canine hemangiosarcoma, the better the chances of survival, but unless they do blood tests, x-rays, and look for something specific, they won’t know either. How would you know that your dog might have a “Hemoabdomen” (meaning free blood within the abdominal cavity)? Sometimes the spleens will grow masses and are usually benign tumors (hemangiomas) or malignant tumors (hemangiosarcomas).

The treatment and prognosis of a hemoabdomen depends entirely on the cause. In most cases, the cause of the bleeding must be stopped surgically by removing the spleen. Or eventually the growth ruptures and the spleen bleeds. When a vascular organ such as the spleen bleeds, the blood loss can be life-threatening and lead to a (hemoabdomen). Studies have shown that most bleeding tumors are more likely to have been a hemangiosarcoma. There is a 50:50 chance that it could be either one. The only way to know for sure is to do a biopsy.

When the tumor in the spleen ruptures, the dog usually has profuse bleeding into the abdominal cavity, which is usually very detectable to the veterinarian by swelling of the abdomen. In my opinion, it would still be too late to really save your dog. Even if they could be stabilized, which would involve taking x-rays/x-rays and/or ultrasound, replacing the lost blood volume with intravenous fluids, and transfusions of blood and oxygen, the result would be removal of the spleen, but in many cases it does have metastases; which means that it has spread to other parts of the body and with that, the prognosis becomes very poor. Remember that hemangiosarcoma is an aggressive cancer and that is the problem, even with removal of the spleen and tumor, the dog will probably be spared from bleeding to death, but will probably eventually die from the cancer.

So what is the prognosis for hemangiosarcoma in dogs?

In the long run, if your dog is diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma, your chances are slim to none. Survival time after splenectomy is 3 weeks to 3 months, with chemotherapy it could increase survival time to 5 to 7 months, only a few dogs have survived more than a year. Of course, survival time can vary depending on the scale of the disease, the aggressiveness, and the follow-up care. Follow-up care usually includes monthly chest X-rays and physical exams that are needed to see if the cancer comes back. Most dogs will probably die or be euthanized due to this metastatic disease. This type of cancer, I’m sorry to say, is fatal, but if caught early enough, the dog’s life can be prolonged, but at whose expense?… The answer is both you and your dogs.

If your dog is diagnosed with canine hemangosarcoma, you will have some decisions to make that will be very difficult to make to say the lease. No one wants to do anything to save their pet in the first place but what are you going to put your best friend through to do that, x-rays, blood work, surgery, pain only to have him give in to cancer and die of all modes. Should I consider their age and whether or not they have other health problems and what would be their quality of life? Then you have to factor in all the vet bills there would be to extend your dog’s life by just a month or three or even days. This is not the type of cancer you can cure with chemotherapy (which can make your dog sick) if you get rid of cancer from one place, it has most likely spread to another place. The result will be the same.

Only you, the owner, can make this heartbreaking decision. It doesn’t matter if you contracted this disease in its early stages or not, the prognosis will still be poor. I didn’t have to make any decisions; it looked like my dog ​​Moebert had made them for me. He never showed signs of being sick. It is true when they say that hemangosarcoma is the “silent killer” because in most cases the cancer has already advanced before the dog owner notices it. Moebert waited for me to get home from work so we could both say goodbye; I know it in my heart.

Would she have put him through the surgery and all? If he had saved his life and he would have been better and “cured”… you can bet. He meant more to me than life. I’m so glad I didn’t have to make a decision about whether to operate or even consider euthanasia. Sometimes circumstances don’t give you time to ask questions and when you’re that upset you wouldn’t be thinking straight anyway. I know I wasn’t, I probably would have done anything to keep Moe alive, but it wouldn’t have been for his own good, it would have been my own selfishness in not wanting to lose him and that wouldn’t have been right. I have never been so devastated by losing something or someone in my life as I am by my Moebert.

Love and hold your pet every day and every opportunity you get because you never know what could and can happen. You may not get another chance.

For you and the health of your pets,

Alicia