Spleen removal GSD - Page 2

I am so sorry for your dog's situation! Although it is far too common in GSD's!
It would be almost unheard of, for a tumor on the spleen NOT to be cancer (hemangiosarcoma). If it was only the spleen, I would have it out in a heartbeat. But since the liver is already involved that would make me have to think long and hard. The spleen is the main concern because of the high probability of rupture and subsiquent internally bleeding to death in minutes.  The liver, yes it's a problem for sure, but there is lots of liver to still function before it grows enough to be life threatening. Don't know too much about liver surgery at all.  But it would be nice if they could just take out the effected part of the liver and leave the rest. Don't know if that is even possible.
I wish you peace in whatever descision you make.
Sincerely,
Debby

disagree with Granville - dogs go on to live to their "ripe old ages" after spleen/splenic mass removals - all the time.  They can live years longer - as long as the spleen and attached tumor is the only cancer and it has not already spread.  IF the small area on the liver is removeable, AND if the cancer has not spread further already - then IMO you could have very good results with removal of the spleen and attempted removal of the small tumor on the liver.  But if the entire liver is involved, or the cancer has already spread to other organs, then the prognosis is not good.  If the cancer has not spread, then prognosis is much better IMO - and he's only 8 years old.

molly

Vixen, In most cases it was because other organs were involved, such as the liver or intestines.  Even with x-ray and ultrasound, you don't know what you will find when the surgeon opens up.  Often times one of the biggest recovery problems was anemia.  Blood transfusions are available but they are costly, and like humans, they can be "rejected."  The other problem being that the dog was already very ill when going into the surgery, making them risky surgery candidates.  It is possible that if caught early and the spleen were the ONLY organ involved then surgery could be curative, but seeing that the liver is also already invovled, that lowers the chance of a good prognosis.  I'm not a doctor, nor an expert, but over the years I saw several of these surgeries and those were the results that I saw.

I have only had one fortunately, from bloods, x-ray and scan the vet believed it was confined to his spleen, when they opened him up what they thought was the mass attached to his spleen was in fact a lobe of his liver that had broken off and the spleen had already ruptured, he was pts on whilst under.
A friend had hers operated on he lasted 3 months.

Yes VB, Seigo was a great loss.  I do hope very much the surgeon has positive news for you.  prayers coming.......

I cannot comment on the liver involvement, but I had emergency surgery on my 10 yr. old "T", (V Carol vom Arolser Holz, SchH3, FH2, KK1) a little over a month ago. He had a large, fast-growing tumor on his spleen that was leaking. My vet removed the tumor and the spleen. T has, to date, made an blessedly eventless recovery, expected to life a out a full and healthy life for another 1-2 years, as no ther organ involvement was discovered during the surgery. The liver involvement in your dog, however, makes for a much less positive prognosis.

Spelnectic tumors tend to have very thin walls, like a water balloon. They rupture easily with just one wrong move or bump. I have lost two beloved dogs to the same condition, hence my discovering it early this time. Its AMAZING how fast tumors on the splen grow to grapefruit size! It can happen in a couple of weeks! If you have any chance of saving your dog, you must have the spenectomy surgery performed immediately. It may be too late to remove all the cancer, but it might buy you some more time, days, weeks or months, with your dog.

T's surgery cost $1,050.00., done by a vet I've known for decades who has perfromed quite anumber of the same same procedure, but I suspect it would have been at least twice that anywhere else.

I am so sorry to hear you and your beloved dog are faced with these decsions. My prayers are with you both, whatever you decide.

Shelley

 




and now... all better... wound healed and hair growing back quickly 4+ wks post-surgery, my darling dog is feeling great as ever.  Heartfelt thanks to Dr's Black and Davies.

Disclaimer-
There is no way to know whether some microscopic cancer cells might be floating around in T's body, which could certainly show up again on another organ later. I don't mean to say we're out of the woods yet by any means. He is on limited exercise, lest the ligations of the major vessels that fed the spleen fail, causing hemmoraging. But at this point, nearly 5 weeks post-surgery, so far, so good!