Question:
Having just lost my Siberian Husky "Shadow" at 12 years of age so suddenly and with no warning signs in spite of yearly medicals etc Can anyone tell me more about this very common problem which in plain language is a Tumor on the Spleen, which shows no outward signs or sends any signals, which without warning can burst and cause internal bleeding into the cavity. It can be operated on but even with operating and chemo the prognosis is so poor I myself would never put an animal through it. I have entered an "In Memory of Shadow" in the "Pets that passed away Forum"

Would be please to hear from anyone else with a Siberian who has gone through this shattering ordeal.

Regards to all.

Capt. John Bax. Ret. Belleville. Ontario. Canada.

Answer:
I am very sorry for you loss,

Hemangiosarcoma is a a form of agressive cancer that can affect other parts of the body as well , one of my fosters had it in his ribcage despite surgery at 2 years old it did comeback a few months later just after he turned 3, Mast cell cancer can also occur in the spleen. Unfortunately splenenic cancer can strike all breeds.

The spleen filters blood but it also produces and stores blood for emergencies, for example dog get cuts or is a blood donor dog the spleen then restores blood that is lost and reproduces more blood for future use, in effect it is a blood reservior, in cancer it can change the texture of the tissue making it soft and spongy in places, such that it can no longer hold the blood, so it ruptures ,much like how rust would effect a cars gas tank, Another problem is the the size enlarges in deep chested breeds like the sibe, doberman, greyhound, dane etc the elargement and angle of the lower chest if it becomes off centered it can rotate and pull the stomach along with it in the rotation to cause torsion(bloat) of both stomach and spleen and this can also cause is to rupture as it strangulates and engorges with blood Unfortunately this is how most cases of splenenic cancers are found and the decision is made to let the dog go to the bridge with the dog under while on the operating table so owners don't get the chance to say goodbye to their companion :(

One of my own greyhounds has a very enlarged spleen as first noted because of changes to his body shape, and his chest area was getting wider [despite battling with diet, his weight gain and enlarging belly had been a problem for a couple of years and was a source of frustration for me and the vet was aware of this, so there was outward signs but at first it did not bother the vet as he figured it was just as a result of retirement(he was a former racer) and in a senior dog it could look like slowing down weight gain]when the vet felt his abdomen he knew something was not right and suggested an x-ray it showed a spleen that was 10 to 11 inches longer than normal , I had just lost one greyhound who was 9 years old 6 months earlier to osteosarcoma, so was devastated and scared when the vet mentioned it might be a form of aggressive cancer like hemangiosarcoma or mast cell, so he had a needle aspiration , bloodwork and later a ultrasound, which ruled cancer, because testing has shown the tissue appears healthy and it is still functioning and not compressing on other organs or the intestinal tract we are leaving it in and simply monitoring it to watch for changes in growth or shape using x-rays and blood values related to it thru bloodwork. In his case he has what is called hyperspleenism. He was 6 at the time of diagnosis and is 8 now with Sunny the risk of torsion is pretty much eliminated as weight of the spleen has caused his abdomen to sag so it sits horizontally rather than diagonally in the abdominal cavity.

Answer:
Ontario Greys.

Thank you so much for your reply, I have been going over and over the whole thing, did I miss something at home or at his medical a few weeks ago. Your answer assured me I did not and also helped me to feel we did the right thing, as hard as it was. He is being cremated today and will be home with us and in the garden he so loved, watching out for those puddy cats and wabbits like all good Siberians do. Again thank you.


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