SPLENIC HEMANGIOSARCOMA! AFTER SURGERY DO CHEMO OR NOT????? - Page 1

HI EVERYONE!
I HAVE A 9 1/2 YR OLD WHITE PUREBRED GERMAN SHEPHERD WHO 9 DAYS AGO HAD SURGERY FOR A SPLENIC HEMANGIOSARCOMA! THAT MORNING HE WAS ACTING SLOW, WAS NOT INTERESTED IN HIS FOOD OR TREATS, DRANK LOTS OF WATER AND LOOKED VERY UNHAPPY!
TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT... ULTRASOUND REVEALED MASSES AND A TUMOR ON HIS SPLEEN AND INTERNAL BLEEDING! ALL OTHER ORGANS WERE CLEAN! SURGERY WAS PERFORMED, SPLEEN WAS REMOVED AND ALL OTHER ORGANS CHECKED AND LOOKED CLEAN! HIS LAST BLOOD WORK CAME BACK EXCELLENT! 5 MONTHS AGO HE HAD A TWISTED STOMACH FOR WHICH SURGERY WAS PERFORMED AND WAS VERY FORTUNATE AS I CAUGHT IT EARLY AND HE CAME OUT WITH FLYING COLOUR! OTHERWISE. HE IS PERFECTLY HEALTHY WITH EXCELLENT HIPS AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN YOUNG AT HEART AND FULL OF ENERGY AND AN AMAZING DOG AND BEST FRIEND!!!
LOOKING AT HIM YOU WOULD'NT EVEN KNOW WHAT HE HAD BEEN THROUGH A WEEK AGO (EXCEPT FOR THE SHAVED STOMACH AND FRONT PAW)!!
MY RESEARCH HAS SADDENED MY HEART AS IT STATES THAT : 
- LONG TERM PROGNOSIS IS POOR AFTER SURGERY  WITH A SURVIVAL TIME OF 19 - 83 DAYS
- DOGS WITH SPLENIC TUMORS WHICH HAVE RUPTURED GENERALLY LIVE A SHORTER TIME
- A COMBINATION OF SPLENECTOMY AND CHEMOTHERAPY CAN INCREASE SURVIVAL TIME UP TO A YEAR IN LESS THAN 10% OF CASES
I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS AS HE LOOKS AND ACTS HIS NORMAL SELF!!!!?????!!!!!!
IS CHEMOTHERAPY AN OPTION???
MY VET AFTER CONSULTING WITH COLLEAGUES SUPPORTS PROCEEDING WITH CHEMOTHERAPY!
IS CHEMOTHERAPY AN OPTION???

I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE ANY AND ALL INFORMATION, EXPERIENCES AND ADVICE FROM PROFESSIONALS AND
ANYONE WHO HAS HAD THIS EXPERIENCE WITH THEIR DOG!                                                                                                            THANKS!                                                                                                              

I wish you the best and your furry friend

Hiya  Zen,
Thought I would share my experience with you, though mine was not a good one, and involved some heartsearching and hard decisions.
Like your dog, my boy Zac went through the same surgery, bled massively internaly, but made a great recovery, completely normal for two weeks, then had another bleed. By this time the biopsy which had been sent for tests came back as showing signs of a quite agressive cancer. So in one way the decision was taken out of my hands by those findings,  but I still had some choices to make. His spleen was removed during the surgery, which as I understand it would have caused immune system problems, did I want a dog who would maybe have sucumbed to the slightest infection? Or did I want a dog who would maybe recover for a week then have another internal bleed, or maybe not have one? I took him home and spent a few quality days with him, and then made that decision which we all make. I reasoned that it would be like living on the edge of a cliff, he would have lost his usual quality of life, and that indeed, all that he had been through had made him very tired indeed, and so we said our last, but very dignified goodbyes, he had been through enough. It was time to consider how Zac was feeling, and not how I was feeling. He was 11 years old, and although it was hard, I let him go. This was all some years ago, and I expect treatment has progressed somewhat since then.
Good luck whatever you decide to do, make the decision for your dog, and not for you.

Even though they got the tumor, or think they did, normally with this type of tumor it has spread into the rest of the body. It might be hard to find evidence of it, but it is probably there in the lungs, or brain or so small in the abdomen it is not yet seen.

Chemo is, of course, an option, but it is very expensive and will only give you a little time, perhaps a year or so. In the meantime, there may be side effects of the chemo that alter the quality of the dogs life and your time with him. There are exceptions to survival, but they are rare. I know the pain of making a hard decision. But I would give him a chance at enjoying the life he can live without ill effects from chemo, just because he is so old already. Live each day to the fullest and hope that he will be one of the exceptions and do very, very well. If you have a veterinary college in your state, you might also consider an appointment there with an oncologist just to see what they recommend. Having lots of facts can help make whatever decision you make a lot easier.

Good luck and much enjoyment with your dog, regardless of what your decision is.

I too lost a dog to splenic hemangiosarcoma.  If I had it to do again I would do the chemo.  I don't think that it got us any extra time.  I would of course do the surgery again as there's a chance that these tumors can be benign.

I was lucky in that the tumor was found very early and think that's why we got the 4 1/2 months that we did.   

Kathy

If its heamangio then no I wouldnt as Hodie stated by now as the spleen burst it will have spread to other parts of the body, not sure if you are the same person I advised elsewhere, but I would just enjoy your dog for his remaining time.

Zen,

I've had no experience with what you're going through, but know what it's like to see the end coming with a long and loving (canine) friend.  Just do what you can.  It's never easy.  Remember the SO MANY GOOD TIMES!  Always makes me smile through the tears. 
Best wishes to you!
Jen

 Sorry to hear about your problem! I have treated a dog years ago with chemotherapy for a different cancer (lymph nodes) and can only say that it seemed to cause the dog no side effects whatsoever and did prolong his life about a year and a half.  The dog had four rounds of chemo and each time  he would come home and act completely normal from appetite to exercise. Best of luck to both of you!