# GSD with Hemangiosarcoma



## Bonans

My 9 yr old GSD was just diagnosed with splenic tumors. We have brought her home for now but are not sure what to expect. What have some of you done in this situation?


----------



## Samba

I spent all the time that I could my girl until the end. I am so sorry to hear of the diagnosis.


----------



## Myamom

Good quality time and...because I fight until I can't fight...a good cancer fighting diet and supplements. 

http://www.eattheapple.com/ginger/

Personally...I have contacted Marina Zacharias in these serious situations. She was a wealth of knowledge to me and put me on a good path. 
NaturalRearing.com ~ Contact


----------



## codmaster

Bonans said:


> My 9 yr old GSD was just diagnosed with splenic tumors. We have brought her home for now but are not sure what to expect. What have some of you done in this situation?


What a bummer! Good luck to you.


----------



## wolfstraum

I am so sorry......My Kyra, who lived with friends the last 2 years of her life, started to have some problems last September - their vets puttered around and did not diagonse it then....at Thanksgiving she was bloated looking....mid December, she was in the ER, bleeding out - surgery was done - she did not make it to get the stitches out.....she had 9 days after surgery - I spent one with her adn she was happy and in good spirits..........she laid down and left a few days later...........there was no opportunity to do any chemo etc....so alot depends on how far it is progressed....and how deep your financial resources go....

Good luck - cherish the time you have left and love him...

Lee


----------



## Bonans

Three weeks ago she became lethargic and lost her appetite. We took her to the vet and she tested positive for lyme and erlichiosis. We went back after we noticed some regression and bloating. The other vet(who is the owner of the animal hospital) gave a preliminary diagnosis of HS. We had an ultrasound today that confirmed multiple masses in her abdomen and a large volume of fluid(most likely blood). He said that chemotherapy would be $7000/month and not extend her life past 6 months. We decided not to begin chemo because my fiancée and I both work in healthcare and are familiar with doxorubicin. We have decided to bring her home and treat her like a queen(like we have done for the past 9 years).


----------



## codmaster

Bonans said:


> Three weeks ago she became lethargic and lost her appetite. We took her to the vet and she tested positive for lyme and erlichiosis. We went back after we noticed some regression and bloating. The other vet(who is the owner of the animal hospital) gave a preliminary diagnosis of HS. We had an ultrasound today that confirmed multiple masses in her abdomen and a large volume of fluid(most likely blood). He said that chemotherapy would be $7000/month and not extend her life past 6 months. We decided not to begin chemo because my fiancée and I both work in healthcare and are familiar with doxorubicin. We have decided to bring her home and treat her like a queen(like we have done for the past 9 years).


Very understandable! Make the remainder of her time as pleasurable as you can!


----------



## wolfstraum

Bonans said:


> Three weeks ago she became lethargic and lost her appetite. We took her to the vet and she tested positive for lyme and erlichiosis. We went back after we noticed some regression and bloating. The other vet(who is the owner of the animal hospital) gave a preliminary diagnosis of HS. We had an ultrasound today that confirmed multiple masses in her abdomen and a large volume of fluid(most likely blood). He said that chemotherapy would be $7000/month and not extend her life past 6 months. We decided not to begin chemo because my fiancée and I both work in healthcare and are familiar with doxorubicin. We have decided to bring her home and treat her like a queen(like we have done for the past 9 years).


I am sorry - but this sounds like she is bleeding out!!!!! If so - you are talking days.....Are you keeping tabs on her capillary refill?? Are you planning on releasing her to the Bridge rather than just letting her pass from bleeding out...???

Lee


----------



## JeanKBBMMMAAN

I am really sorry about your dog. Read up as much as you can about it so you can be as prepared as you possibly can (though there is no real preparation). 

I think Lee brings up some good questions. 

As far as the chemo treatment it is much different in dogs than it is in humans. Just like feeding tubes in cats are different than they are in people. It is good to get species specific information - I am learning that more and more. 

But this sounds so advanced - I am really sorry. 

RebelGSD was able to go through the chemo with her dog to her great satisfaction with the outcome (yes, he still succumbed to the illness but had quality of life throughout the process). 

I used prednisilone on my old dog as he was diagnosed with hours, perhaps days if we were lucky and I think it helped to give him 5 good weeks. They call that poor man's chemo. 

Please take care.


----------



## RebelGSD

I am so sorry, this is a terrible cancer...
I elected to do chemo with my boy and I am happy that i was able to buy us 4 months. The cost was very reasonable, around $200/round and they cannot have more than 7 rounds, usually it is 6 - because of the toxicity. The bloodwork prior to the chemo was also reasonable. I did it at a univesity hospital, they are not-for-profit. I guess the sepcialists can rip you off.
My boy sailed through the treatments and we had wonderful times. He even enjoyed the hospital visits and all the attention, he was a ladies' man.

I documented our story and there is a lot of useful information in the thread.
http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/loving-memory/105191-please-say-prayer-my-boy-hs.html


----------



## arycrest

:hugs::teary::hugs:

I'm so very sorry to hear about your boy. I've lost several of the Hooligans to this horrific form of cancer (one heart and one spleen), I didn't know they were even sick until hours before they died. I've also had two others diagnosed with it (heart) but due to other numerous debilitating health problems I had them put down.


----------



## LisaT

I'm so sorry to hear about your girl :teary:

Doxycycline might help some. There might be some ideas here too: Cancer - GermanShepherdHome.net


----------



## Bonans

Color has returned to her gums and her abdomen has slightly reduced in size. However, we will be taking her back for the last time as soon as we notice any decline. As hard as it is to put your dog to sleep it's impossible to just watch them die.


----------



## JeanKBBMMMAAN

I hope that this thread - with all the wonderful people who posted - will help you celebrate her life:
Kramer....(posting for Jean) (







1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page) 
sunnygirl272

PS - it's long, but what I took from it is to enjoy and not worry about the little things, trying to do all the right things, just doing what you want and being their friend - good to know for the future...


----------



## Kayos and Havoc

So sorry to hear about this. I have lost one to HS, and I never knew he had it til he bled out. Love your girl while you have a little time. (hugs)


----------



## RebelGSD

Some dogs bleed and recover. They reabsorb the blood from the abdomen and they look and feel better. If the blood vessels that bleed are smaller, they can have several/many small bleeds on and off. Others have large bleeds, some don't recover from the first one. My boy had only few large bleeds, the first one requred removal of the spleen. He recovered after the next bleed three months after the chemo and I had to put him to sleep after the one that followed a week later. The good news with this cncer is that it is not painful - they call it the silent killer. I heard of a case when the dog lived 7 months without surgery.


----------



## katieliz

i recently lost my boy the shepster to hemangio. in retrospect, i now believe he'd been having some small bleeds and recovering, which i attributed to mobility issues from arthritis. then i noticed a large lump in his "waist" area, and he was diagnosed with splenic tumor. because of his age and the mobility issues, we decided against anything but hospice treatment. we had about 10 days-2 weeks from diagnosis to the morning when he told me it was time to go. it was quality time and i was ever so glad i had a bit of notice. i'm so sorry. does your vet possibly make home calls? take care.


----------



## Gib Laut

I second the anti-cancer diet as soon as possible....unprocessed and home cooked, high protein, zero-low carbs ang high good fats (high doses of fish oil, flax oi, olive oil etc.). As much food as the dog will eat over several meals. Some of that fluid may be ascites. Mine had liver cancer and from the second I changed his diet, added herbal therapies and quality vitamins, his quality of life actually improved beyond what it had been in over 4 years. I used an over the counter diuretic (because my vet REFUSED to provide any assistance) to reduce the abdominal swelling from the ascites he had. It made it more comfortable for sleeping and reduced the swelling significantly. My boy was given less that two weeks and he lived for almost 8, in a healthier state than he had been for years...I know that sounds strange, but the dramatic change in nutrition resulted in dramatic results. He died at home, on his own time, but spent his last few months in better spirits than ever. 

Good luck to all of you. It is a terrible situation to deal with.


----------



## MaineLady

Bonans said:


> Color has returned to her gums and her abdomen has slightly reduced in size. However, we will be taking her back for the last time as soon as we notice any decline. As hard as it is to put your dog to sleep it's impossible to just watch them die.


I'm so sorry to hear about Bonan but glad she is doing better. Unfortunately, this cancer has no cure. I've seen people do the surgery, and the dog still doesn't live very long. Usually, the quality of life isn't good either. I think the surgery option is really for the people and not for the dog. It's just so difficult to let your dog go if there is a chance, but I've never heard of a good outcome.

Most of the time the cancer is diagnosed when the dog crashes and is bleeding out. Making on the spot decisions when it hits you out of the blue is horrible. I think that you are doing the right thing for Bonan.


----------



## Zarr

I lost my girl to Hemangiosarcoma of the heart a few months ago. It was sudden, we had no idea she had this disgusting cancer. At 7 in the morning she was fine, 3 hours later she died in my arms outside the vet clinic. If I had known she was going to die, I would have sat with her till she passed, spent those precious few moments with her at home, but instinct told me to get help. Cherish your loved one, spend time, do the small things....even if I had known my girl had this....the vets could not have operated to save her...you have some time...make it the most special time ever! for your beloved girl. My girl was 7 years and 10 months old. My thoughts are with you.


----------



## Bonans

This morning our beautiful girl, Hannah, went to doggie heaven. 

05-13-01 to 07-05-2010


----------



## codmaster

Beautiful dog - you have our deepest sympathy!


----------



## arycrest

:hugs:Oh, I'm so so sorry to hear this about your beautiful Hannah. I was hoping she'd be one of the lucky ones who would beat the odds. My condolences to you and all who loved her. 


:rip: Rest in Peace Hannah, may you run free at the Bridge!


----------



## RebelGSD

I am so sorry for your loss...
Run free at the Bridge beautiful girl (and say hello to my furkids).


----------



## KimF

*Thank you...*

I just lost my sweet Yana to this horrible disease this morning. I had never heard of it before yesterday morning. I appreciate your posts as well as the people answering them. We tend to feel so alone when we lose these beloved animals. I hope that you are doing better and that the sweet memories are relieving some of your pain.

Kim


----------



## jakeandrenee

So sorry....


----------



## Trina

My condolences on the loss of your beautiful girl, Hannah. May she rest in peace.


----------



## CaliBoy

Bonans:

It has been two weeks since your precious princess went to heaven. My BabyGirl at the age of eight died from the same thing almost two years ago. Words cannot describe my heartfelt sympathy at your loss. I can only imagine how inconsolable your sorrow is. 

Like other posters have said, this disease is a horrible, aggressive and silent killer that often robs us of much time to say goodbye. One week after my BabyGirl was diagnosed, she could not go on and the vet came to my house. I think I am still in shock. Just know that I am thinking of you and Hannah and praying that your memories bring you some consolation.


----------



## JazzNScout

Bonans said:


> My 9 yr old GSD was just diagnosed with splenic tumors. We have brought her home for now but are not sure what to expect. What have some of you done in this situation?


So sad to hear this. She was gorgeous. 

Last June, my Jasmine was diagnosed with the same. On July 3, 2009 I took her to pass over. It was a heart-wrenching decision. _Quality of life_ is what kept playing over and over in my head. 

Hoping you as smooth a journey with this as possible. My thoughts are with you as you mourn your sweet girl. 

It has been a year here, and it was just this month, when I looked at another GSD puppy and my heart melted, when I realized my heart had healed (as much as they can). Bless you.


----------



## wolfstraum

Bonans and Kim - you both have my deepest sympathy.....I know what a shock it is and how it hurts to lose one to this.........Hannah and Kim's girl ~ run free at the bridge - with all our beloved ones lost but held deeply in our hearts...

Lee


----------



## chrste

I seriously have tearing running down my face. I'm so sorry for your losses.


----------



## smdaigle

We lost Rex last Saturday to what we think was Hemangiosarcoma. He never had any symptoms until he collapsed one afternoon. It was a Saturday and we really couldn't tell what was wrong with him until it was too late. Later, our vet said he suspected Hemangiosarcoma. He had a good life - almost 11 years. On his last day he went for a long walk on a cool fall morning and later rode got to ride in the car. His last day was a good day and we were with him when he died. What a shock it was for all of us.


----------



## Jax's Mom

I'm sorry for your loss.
We lost Xena to this last year. We had no idea. She left our lives as quickly as she entered... Left nothing but good memories 
We didn’t have to see her sick or in pain, one afternoon she just didn’t get up after a walk.


----------



## LuvMyLili

I lost my Belgian Mal to hemangiosarcoma 3 years ago next week. She was my heart dog. I feel for anyone who loses their dog to this silent killer. It was 4 weeks from diagnosis to having her PTS in my arms. I chose not to have a splenectomy, kidney removal, and chemo just to buy her a few months. She bled periodically with mini collapses twice and recovered within hours. When she was 'good' she was full of energy and her old drive. On a beautiful fall day, I met my vet in the field where we would run and we sent her to Valhalla. I'm sure your hemangio babies gave her a round of applause as she galloped across the bridge to join the other hero dogs who had gone before her.


----------



## CaliBoy

Sandra:

I see that in honoring Hannah, you have mentioned that your own Rex collapsed and crossed over. Bless his heart. And bless you while you are mourning him. There is a unique club that we all form, we whose fur babies were taken by hemangio. It gets to me whenever people lose their GSD to illness, but the ones that go from hemangio still make me tear up a bit, even though it is two years since I lost my girl that way.


----------



## jeeharbor

HS is tough. I've lost 3 GSD's to it. I lost my 12 year old "Micah" the night before my scheduled C-section this past June for my first. My mom was going to watch Micah for a week. When I arrived at Mom's, Micah collapsed. I was a mile from my vet which is also my employer. A xray was done and my Vet said the decision on euthanizing was made for me. I had to let her go. My coworkers were so supportive. My husband was crying when I called to say I just euthanized her. It was so unexpected. Micah was completely normal up until the moment the tumor was going to rupture. She was the matriarch of the dog clan. I wanted Micah to be there when I brought the baby home and be the baby's buddy. All the other dogs have stepped up.


----------



## GSD Momma

*This cancer...*

Makes me sick!!! We just lost our precious 10.5 year old GSD girl to this horrible cancer on Xmas eve  We had thought she ate something bad causing the bloating. Our vet never diagnosed this, he said gastroenteritis, the ER finally did on her 3rd collapse. (they did an ultrasound and found the large bleeding mass on her heart). Ugh... This is seriously been the most horrible days of my life. I miss my sweet pup SO much 

On the plus side, I read they are trying to work on a vaccine for this. It's in clinical trial. It makes me afraid to get another GSD, but how can I not? I love this breed so much.

As a previous poster mentioned, I'm 8 months pregnant and was hoping my precious pup would meet the baby and protect him/her. Very tough week it's been...  

Struggling when to get a new puppy with the baby and all.

I feel for ALL of you that have lost your fur babies to this wretched cancer!


----------



## Zarr

My condolences to all of you, who have lost their precious dog to this disease. They are free of pain now, running free...and waiting to meet us again.


----------



## Myamom

I am so very very sorry...to all of you! We lost our Mya to hemangiosarcoma as well 11/09. It was sudden...and she too just collapsed one morning....and we also thought she was bloating. She coded repeatedly at the ER...and could not be saved. We never got to say goodbye. 

I do understand...we were devastated...and could not even think of getting another dog...I would look...people would send me pictures of beautiful potential new dogs...but it wasn't Mya. I prayed that God would just send a dog in my direction that needed me....and eventually he did...and I like to think..with Mya's help. I took in a senior hospice girl. I know it sounds crazy...but I think I needed her even more than she needed me. So...we cherish every moment with her...knowing each moment is precious and we never know when that time will end...we spend every moment making up for this dog's past life...and making her happy...in Mya's memory. 

Hugs to all of you...we will see them again.


----------



## Josie/Zeus

Hugs to all of you here. I lost my beloved Zeus to this horrible cancer. We found out in Dec of 2008, we were in the er until 4 am, with a month old baby. We had Zeus's spleen removed and we tried the homeopath route. He lived for another 4 months, he passed the day before his 9th birthday. I believe, having Zeus on BARF helped him recover faster from his surgery. 

Hugs your dogs tight. Zeus is severely missed. I gave this to DH for Christmas in memory of Zeus. Even though we are getting a new puppy, he will never ever be forgotten.


----------



## shadow mum

I also lost my beloved Smoke to HS two years ago. He seemed fine up until the day before he passed. All of a sudden, he couldn't get up. I called the vet and made an appointment for the next day. That night I was at work, and my husband called crying. Smoke had been lying on our bed when my husband came in from work. My DH and daughter laid on either side of our Smokey Joe. Smoke licked DH once on the face. When DH said it was alright, Smoke breathed his last. He was 9.5 yrs old. My DH and I adopted him from the pound 1 week after we were married. I miss him to this day. Shadow was born on the day Smoke passed.


----------



## GSD Momma

shadow mum said:


> I also lost my beloved Smoke to HS two years ago. He seemed fine up until the day before he passed. All of a sudden, he couldn't get up. I called the vet and made an appointment for the next day. That night I was at work, and my husband called crying. Smoke had been lying on our bed when my husband came in from work. My DH and daughter laid on either side of our Smokey Joe. Smoke licked DH once on the face. When DH said it was alright, Smoke breathed his last. He was 9.5 yrs old. My DH and I adopted him from the pound 1 week after we were married. I miss him to this day. Shadow was born on the day Smoke passed.



It's such a horrible cancer . I understand it's a "silent killer" though, meaning they aren't in any pain. That made me feel so much better. I lost my Pica just last week and it's still hard to believe it. Our vet didn't even diagnose it correctly, but the fluids he pumped into her gave her a wonderful last week with us. We showered her with attention since we had no idea what was making her sick. I somehow think it's helped my grieving...having that one last week. Im just glad the suffering was so minimal and quick.


----------



## shadow mum

(((hugs)))


----------

