# Hemangiosarcoma of the Spleen



## DooglesMom (Feb 12, 2014)

Good Evening all,

My husband and i just went through a traumatizing experience tonight. My heart is shattered into pieces. We had decided to put my boy Doogle to sleep after taking him to the Vet 4 hours ago. He was lethargic this evening, breathing was labored, fatigue (couldn't even stand up), pale gums and tongue, belly was distended. Went to the Vet, did blood work and ultrasound and was told that he has a tumor in his spleen and that his liver wasn't looking great either. They aspirated blood from his abdominal cavity so he was indeed bleeding internally. Hemangiosarcoma of the Spleen. 

Tonight, we lost a beautiful 81/2 yr old German Shepherd. He was found by our neighbor but they could not keep him since they have 3 other big dogs. So, we opened our hearts and home to him 9 yrs ago and he changed our lives forever. We found out that he had heartworms and so we took him for treatments and he was fine when we first got him. 2 days ago, we noticed that he is kind of lethargic, bad appetite and went down hill from that. He saw the vet 1 month ago for check up and vaccines and nothing was abnormal.

How does one cope with this. My husband and i have been trying to conceive for 8 years and no luck, so He is my child. and now he is gone. 

Thanks for letting me vent out here.


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## Angelina03 (Jan 9, 2012)

I'm so so sorry for your loss. Such a sudden loss is so devastating. I can't even imagine how to begin to cope. Our GSD is our child too (my hubby and I don't have children together), so I take your sorrow to heart. You need to grieve and let yourself feel sad. Always remember though that you saved him in more than one way. You gave him a home and you gave him love. He was happy because of you and lived a good life. 


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## Apoolutz (Jan 19, 2013)

Sorry for your loss.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

So sorry for your loss. Many of us have lost dogs to this awful awful cancer and about the only consolation is they don't seem to suffer with it until the end.


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## d4lilbitz (Dec 30, 2013)

Sorry for your loss. Our senior rescue shepherd, Charlie has to be put down almost a month ago as a result. Same symptoms. She missed two meals and I took her to the vet. After tests, they determined she had Hemangiosarcoma. She was 9 and we'd only adopted her in December. It was very traumatizing. I thought I was going to be changing her medication, not putting her to sleep. 

What helped me get through her passing was thinking about the joy my family gave her for the last month of her life. She was in a shelter, no one wanted her because of her age. She had the same family for her whole life. We started out as a foster, then after 1/2 day...I adopted her. She was a great dog. had the perfect temperament, loved people of all ages, wonderful leash manners, and still had great ball drive : ) We miss her dearly. It's tough losing a pet, as they are members of the family. So sorry for your family.


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## Loneforce (Feb 12, 2012)

I am sorry for your loss  Rest in peace Doogle..


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## Kayos and Havoc (Oct 17, 2002)

Oh so very sorry you lost your boy. Hemangio is awful, it sneaks in and takes our fur kids too quickly. Hugs to you.


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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

Hemangio is quick, silent with few signs. I had one bleed out, caught that, operated & did chemo. Six months later, it came roaring back. The ONLY positive about this is that the dog doesn't really "hurt".
Nasty stuff. 

My only consolation with the death of a dog is -- there is someone else out there that needs a home now. That needs MY home now. (I swear dogs conspire). It's not a replacement dog - it's an opprotunistic dog! 

It is hard. It is unfair. Your dog was very lucky to have had so many good years with you. She brought you a lot of joy. The cost of that is the pain when they die. BUT for me that pain has ALWAYS been outweighed by the joy. As much as I deeply regret loosing each one that has died, I have fully enjoyed each subsequent dog. Would I choose to miss any of it? No. Although I always feel pain on their passing, it is balanced by remembering the joy they gave me. The only flaw I have found in dogs is that their lives are too short.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

I'm so sorry for your loss. Big hugs to your and your husband. May you find peace in the memories he gave you throughout his life.


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## Brando & Julietta's Dad (Dec 14, 2013)

I am sorry to hear about your loss of Doogle. I know it feels like the loss of a child. I have been there twice. When Doogle needed a loving home, you were there for him. You can take joy in knowing that you provided a good life for a wonderful dog that was in need. I'm sure he appreciated the love he received and returned it right back. If you had not been there for him, Doogle might not have had the great life he did. RIP Doogle, Good boy...


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## sitstay (Jan 20, 2003)

I am so sorry for your loss. I lost my 8.5 year old boy to hermangiosarcoma as well. Devastating disease.
Sheilah


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## Karin (Jan 4, 2008)

I'm so sorry about Doogle. It must have been a terrible shock to lose him so suddenly and unexpectedly. My thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family. Rest in peace, Doogle. :angel:


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## RebelGSD (Mar 20, 2008)

I am very sorry for your loss. I lost two (maybe three) of mine to this disease. It is hard because the dog can appear completely healthy and the disease strikes suddenly.


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## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

I too am so very sorry. It isn't fair and takes our pups so very quickly.


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## Susan_GSD_mom (Jan 7, 2014)

I am reading all these posts with tears stinging my eyes... SO sorry for you loss of your beautiful Doogle... I have lost two, the first was one of my wolf shepherds (I know I wasn't going to mention them anymore--), my Shadow, who was my heart dog. I discovered the tumor before it ruptured, I could feel it as I ran my hand across his side. The vet removed it, offered chemo, but I couldn't afford it. I was sure he'd be okay, naive that I was back then. He healed so fast, and at 7 was acting like a puppy again... Six months to the day of his surgery we had to put him down. I kept thinking, if only we had done chemo...

The second was in December, my beautiful Cesar, my rescue boy brought all the way up to us from Texas and HW positive, nearly 3 years ago, he had such joie de vivre...and he died in my arms as they were preparing to draw the blood off his abdomen and transfuse it, to buy some time for surgery. My heart goes out to everyone who posted here, it is such a sudden, terrible, heartbreaking disease.

I long for the time when such things will never happen again.


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## Susan_GSD_mom (Jan 7, 2014)

Here is a link for an article that is rather heavy reading, but it helped me to understand the cancer better than I did before I read it. It also discusses the progress being made to find a way for early diagnosis.

The National Canine Cancer Foundation - Canine Hemangiosarcoma - The Road from Despair to Hope


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## Tattersail (Feb 5, 2014)

So sorry to hear about the loss of Doogle... We lost our Shepherd cross 2 weeks ago to this as well at 10 years. It wasn't easy, and was so sudden, but I found researching and reading up on the disease helped easy my mind, knowing I had made the right choice and there was almost nothing that could have been done to save him. It will hurt for some time, just make sure you allow yourself to feel that grief as you move through the motions.


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## DooglesMom (Feb 12, 2014)

*My boy Doogle*

1 week today and my heart is still broken. Thank you all for the kind and comforting words. I too am sorry for ya'lls loss. Amazing how much they can touch our lives and live a lasting memory of what unconditional love is all about.


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## DooglesMom (Feb 12, 2014)

Tattersail said:


> So sorry to hear about the loss of Doogle... We lost our Shepherd cross 2 weeks ago to this as well at 10 years. It wasn't easy, and was so sudden, but I found researching and reading up on the disease helped easy my mind, knowing I had made the right choice and there was almost nothing that could have been done to save him. It will hurt for some time, just make sure you allow yourself to feel that grief as you move through the motions.


Thank you.


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## DooglesMom (Feb 12, 2014)

Karin said:


> I'm so sorry about Doogle. It must have been a terrible shock to lose him so suddenly and unexpectedly. My thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family. Rest in peace, Doogle. :angel:


Thank you Karin.


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## DooglesMom (Feb 12, 2014)

Angelina03 said:


> I'm so so sorry for your loss. Such a sudden loss is so devastating. I can't even imagine how to begin to cope. Our GSD is our child too (my hubby and I don't have children together), so I take your sorrow to heart. You need to grieve and let yourself feel sad. Always remember though that you saved him in more than one way. You gave him a home and you gave him love. He was happy because of you and lived a good life.
> 
> 
> ..funny thing is, He saved me. I suffer from major depression and anxiety and having him around made all the difference when i wanted to give up. i remember going outside the patio with my guitar .. he would always lay down in front of me and i would put my feet on him as though he is my "foot rest table" when i'm done.. he would lay his head on my knees...when i come home from working night shift and could not sleep because of the fear that someone would come in the house.. he would lay down and sleep underneath my feet or he would park himself against the door.... He saved me. .. He did more for me than i have for him. He taught us loyalty and unconditional love, friendship ...gratitude. and courage.
> ...


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## Angelina03 (Jan 9, 2012)

DooglesMom said:


> ..funny thing is, He saved me. I suffer from major depression and anxiety and having him around made all the difference when i wanted to give up. i remember going outside the patio with my guitar .. he would always lay down in front of me and i would put my feet on him as though he is my "foot rest table" when i'm done.. he would lay his head on my knees...when i come home from working night shift and could not sleep because of the fear that someone would come in the house.. he would lay down and sleep underneath my feet or he would park himself against the door.... He saved me. .. He did more for me than i have for him. He taught us loyalty and unconditional love, friendship ...gratitude. and courage.
> 
> as the vet was injecting the medicine, i was in front of him and looking at him and holding his head.. my husband said " don't look because you won't be able to sleep without seeing this".. i told him... i don't care, i want him to know that we are here with him... i want him to know that we love him and i want him to see how much he has saved us and that he is loved.


This is so sad... My heart breaks. I would do the same. I'm very sorry for your loss. 




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