Canine Hemangiosarcoma Warriors
“Goose” Marsh - Splenic Hemangiosarcoma
“Goose” was born on 11/2/07 and was adopted by Claudia and Jeff Marsh of Watertown, NY. This sweet, fun-loving Golden Doodle was loved by everyone who knew him.
In February of 2017, Goose was taken to an after-hours emergency clinic because he wasn’t eating well and was acting very weak. He had previously had 3-5 episodes of acute-onset weakness intermittently since Christmastime, which had been attributed to painfulness.
At the emergency clinic, Goose was very pale, weak, and had a bloated, uncomfortable belly. X-rays of his abdomen revealed loss of normal abdominal detail (indicating likely fluid accumulation in his abdominal cavity) and poor visualization of his spleen. Blood work revealed mild anemia. He was immediately transferred to Cornell University Hospital For Animals for a suspected ruptured splenic tumor. After stabilization and confirmation of a ruptured splenic tumor via abdominal ultrasound, Goose had exploratory surgery to remove his spleen and associated tumor. It was confirmed to be a hemangiosarcoma based on biopsy results.
Goose was started on the medicinal mushroom, I’m Yunity, shortly after his diagnosis and lived life to the fullest until he succumbed to metastasis of his hemangiosarcoma in early April of 2017.
Goose will always remain the apple of Claudia and Jeff’s eye and will forever be missed. He was a gentle boy with a heart of gold.
“Liir” Keller - Subcutaneous hemangiosarcoma
“Liir” Keller was a handsome, Sheepdog/Retriever X born on 3/4/13 and adopted by Amanda Keller of Glen Park, NY. If you ever had the pleasure of meeting Liir, you couldn’t help but fall in love with this quiet, goofy dog. He was a sweet boy who went everywhere with his mom and had numerous, grand adventures throughout his life.
In June of 2018, Liir was taken to his regular veterinarian to have a lump on his left shoulder/forearm evaluated. Amanda had noticed it just one week prior to his veterinary visit. At that time, it hadn’t been bothering Liir, but it had been noticeably growing and was measured out to be 6cm wide and 6cm long.
A fine needle aspirate (FNA) was performed, in which a needle was inserted into the lump, cells from the lump were obtained, and the sample was submitted to a veterinary pathologist for analysis. Unfortunately, an exact answer was not obtained (which may sometimes occur), but the lump was labeled highly suspicious for some form of a soft tissue sarcoma.
Due to the location and size of the tumor, Liir was referred to the Veterinary Medical Center of CNY for surgical removal and biopsy of the tumor in July. The biopsy report indicated that the tumor was a subcutaneous hemangiosarcoma. Because of its deep attachment to the back of Liir’s upper forearm, the tumor was not able to be removed entirely. He was then referred to a veterinary oncologist at the same location, and he began chemotherapy treatment (Doxorubicin) to help control metastatic disease in September. He received all 5 rounds of chemotherapy that he was supposed to, and a check up in January of 2019 revealed no regrowth or metastatic spread of his hemangiosarcoma.
In March of 2019, Liir was evaluated by his regular veterinarian, as Amanda had found a lump near his surgical scar on his left front leg. A fine needle aspirate of the lump revealed bloody material, and it was highly suspected that the hemangiosarcoma had returned. A revision surgery to attempt to debulk the tumor was discussed but not recommended, and Amanda spent the next two months giving Liir medication to control his discomfort. She had to say goodbye to him in May of 2019, approximately one year after his diagnosis.
Liir was the epitome of living life to the fullest, and he had a beautiful life with his mom, Amanda. He is missed by everyone who had the chance to meet him.
“Scout” Kelley - Subcutaneous hemangiosarcoma
“Scout” Kelley is a beautiful, sweet Golden Retriever who is beloved by her mom and breeder Eve Kelley of upstate NY. She was born on 8/13/12 and has been living a beautiful life ever since!
In November of 2015, Scout went to her regular veterinarian’s office for her annual examination. At that time, Eve pointed out a pea-sized lump underneath Scout’s skin on her chest that she had recently noticed. A fine needle aspirate (FNA) was performed on the lump, but only bloody fluid was obtained and was not a diagnostic sample. It was collectively decided to surgically remove the lump with wide margins, just in case it was actually a cancerous mass. The biopsy report revealed that it was a subcutaneous hemangiosarcoma and was excised completely (with clean margins).
Because of the metastatic potential of subcutaneous hemangiosarcomas and Scout’s breed, it was recommended that Eve obtain an oncology consult for Scout. Prior to her referral, Scout had radiographs (x-rays) taken of her chest to make sure that there was no evidence of obvious metastatic disease. Her chest was clear, and she went to Cornell University Hospital For Animals for her referral. She had an abdominal ultrasound while she was there, and no evidence of metastatic spread was noted. Eve elected to hold off on chemotherapy treatment at that time, and instead scheduled routine check-ups with her regular veterinarian to monitor for any further issues.
It is now 2020, and Scout has been doing well for the past 4 1/2 years since her diagnosis. We are hoping that she continues to have many more grand adventures with her mom!