Spleen Cancer in Dogs (2023)

FAQs

How long can a dog live with cancer in the spleen? ›

The median survival time for dogs with splenic HSA that receive surgery and chemotherapy is approximately 4-6 months (compared to the 1-2 months with surgery alone).

Dogs who receive no treatment of malignant, bleeding splenic tumors have an extremely dire prognosis. Tumors can bleed slowly, with the dog showing varying signs of illness and weakness. Tumors can also rupture acutely and traumatically. These dogs are critically sick, weak, and can die from loss of blood.

Malignant splenic masses frequently metastasize to the liver or heart. Either one is bad news, but you may find comfort in the certainty of the knowledge that your dog's prognosis is poor. Most dogs with malignant splenic masses succumb to their disease within a few months, sometimes even weeks, of surgery.

As the spleen is made up of a large matrix of blood vessels, splenic tumours can become large very quickly due to their large blood supply. Hemangiosarcoma is a very aggressive and malignant splenic cancer in dogs that originates from blood vessels.

Splenic hemangiosarcoma is a very aggressive cancer and, unfortunately, long-term control/survival is difficult to achieve. Our main goal when treating your pet is to provide good quality time for all of you.

In other situations you may have a bit more time to think about when to euthanize your dog with hemangiosarcoma. This may be the case when the bleeding is currently slow or non-existent or when your dog has already had surgery to remove the splenic mass and is now starting to decline.

Cancer that starts in or spreads to the spleen can cause it to enlarge. If this happens, you might: feel full after eating. have pain in the upper-left side of your belly.

Foods of interest in dogs with cancer include high quality protein such as dairy products made from goat or sheep, egg, low-mercury fish, organ and muscle meat preferable natural raised. Healthy, low glycemic (GI) carbohydrates such as sweet potato, broccoli, quinoa and gluten free oats.

Life expectancy. When a splenic mass is benign, your pet may live for many more years following the surgery. If the tumour has already spread, then your pet may live quite comfortably for an additional three to six months, before the spread of the cancer causes other issues such as bleeding or breathing difficulties.

High grade tumors are associated with aggressive tumor behavior, and most dogs die within 4 to 6 months after surgery as a result of metastasis and tumor degranulation.

What are the signs of a spleen tumor rupture in dogs? ›

Tumors of the liver and spleen can also rupture. Rupture can occur spontaneously, without any traumatic injury, and cause bleeding into the abdomen. Signs of internal bleeding include lethargy, weakness, collapse, decreased appetite, and a distended abdomen.

Non-cancerous reasons for splenic tumors or splenic enlargement include various infections, immune-mediated diseases, and obstructions to blood flow through or out of the spleen.

Hemangiosarcoma. Hemangiosarcoma is a highly malignant cancer that can spread rapidly, causing tumors almost anywhere in the body. It is most often found in the dog's heart and spleen. Many times it is in the advanced stage before it is diagnosed.

The peri-operative mortality rate for dogs undergoing splenectomy is reported between 8 and 33% (1–5). In one study of 539 dogs undergoing splenectomy for splenic masses, 41 dogs (8%) died or were euthanized during or following surgery (5).

PSA is a highly aggressive and extremely rare malignancy that originates from splenic vascular endothelium cells and has particularly poor survival outcomes. The first case of PSA was reported by Theodor Langhans in 1879 and since then only around 300 cases have been reported.

We report a case of a 6.5-year-old dog diagnosed with a splenic hemangiosarcoma and treated solely with micronized fenofibrate, administered orally once a day following splenectomy. The dog survived for over 26 months (804 days) after initial diagnosis without signs of adverse effects due to fenofibrate treatment.

Surgery is the primary method of treatment for most dogs with hemangiosarcoma, regardless of the location of the primary tumor. In most of these patients, the cancer will spread to other sites throughout the body 1-3 months after surgery.

The disease is indolent; in other words, it does not cause pain and the rate of growth in the early stages is relatively slow. Dogs harboring even large hemangiosarcomas may show no clinical signs or evidence that they have a life threatening disease.

This very serious disease has a grave prognosis, meaning that the long-term outlook for life expectancy is generally poor. Many dogs with hemangiosarcoma only live for a short time (weeks to a few months) after being diagnosed, although some sporadic exceptions occur.

Without treatment, most dogs diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma of the internal organs will die within one to two weeks, although some can survive for several months.

How can you tell if a dog is bleeding internally? ›

There are, however, some external signs of internal bleeding, which can include any of the following: Your pet's gums appear pale to white. Your pet feels cool on the legs, ears or tail. Your pet is coughing up blood or having difficulty breathing.

Hemangiosarcoma, a tumor that originates from blood vessels, is a malignant tumor that commonly spreads to the liver, lungs, heart, brain, spinal cord, skin and muscles. Other less common malignant tumors that affect the spleen include lymphosarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, fibrosarcoma and mast cell tumors.

Overall, studies report that there is about a 50:50 chance that a splenic mass in dogs will be malignant (cancerous) versus benign. If the mass is an incidental finding and the dog is asymptomatic, one study indicated that 70.5% of canine patients are benign, which is good news.

Be aware of signs of pain, discomfort, and distress in your dog. These signs are often dramatic and can be a clear indicator that euthanasia should be considered: Labored breathing: Difficulty catching their breath; short, shallow breaths; or wide and deep breaths that appear to be labored. Lack of appetite, lethargy.

It is very important to avoid feeding raw diets or treats to pets with cancer! Raw meat, eggs, and milk carry high risk of bacterial contamination with Salmonella, Listeria, E. coli, Campylobacter, and other potentially dangerous bacteria. Freezing or freeze-drying do not make raw diets safe.

Age is not a disease, and your dog is never “too old” to receive the quality care he or she needs, even if it requires anesthesia and surgery.

The etiology of splenic angiosarcomas remains unclear and clinical presentations are variable. Abdominal pain is the most common symptom. The prognosis of PSA is very poor with a 20% survival rate at 6 months.

Splenic hemangiosarcoma is challenging to diagnose as dogs often only show symptoms of disease in later and more progressed stages.

How do I know if my dog is suffering? ›

Usually surgical removal of the tumors is the best first step with any form of cancerous tumor in dogs. The oncologist will likely stage the disease to make sure it hasn't spread anywhere else and then have recommendations for any postop treatment that is needed after surgery. Good luck with surgery.

Stage I: Tumor smaller than 5 cms. Primary tumor only with no regional or distant metastasis. Stage II: Tumor greater than 5 cms. Ruptured tumor; confined regional metastasis, no distant metastasis.

Your spleen may rupture immediately upon impact, or it may have a delayed rupture as a result of swelling from the injury.

Vomiting, inappetence, weight loss, low energy, pale mucus membranes (gums), or simply enlargement of their abdomen can be symptoms that a pet exhibits when there is a problem with their spleen. A veterinarian may incidentally find a mass when palpating the abdomen on yearly health exams.

The only real treatment for splenic tumors is surgical removal of the spleen. The procedure is done under general anesthesia. An incision is made through the abdominal wall and the spleen is removed. In most cases this procedure goes smoothly and is not a high risk surgery.

Your pet may be groggy for the next few days. He or she may whine or appear more anxious than usual; this may indicate pain/discomfort or side-effects of the medications. Please call your veterinarian for assistance with medication adjustments or return for exam and additional pain medications as needed.

The median survival time for dogs with splenic HSA that receive surgery and chemotherapy is approximately 4-6 months (compared to the 1-2 months with surgery alone).

Opioids include morphine and codeine. These are prescribed when advanced cancers cause prolonged, severe pain. Other types of pain medications that may be used include local anesthetics and alpha ₂ agonists, although use of these medications is not as common as the use of other pain relievers.

Can an old dog survive a splenectomy? ›

No matter the age of the dog. Age is just a number, not a disease. I have performed splenectomies on 14-year-old dogs who have gone to live for another two years and died of old age.

The spleen is located in the upper left part of the abdomen and splenic cancer typically doesn't cause pain as it grows. Tumours can grow quite large before causing any noticeable clinical signs. It is only when the tumour ruptures or starts to bleed that dogs may show signs of abdominal pain.

Although it has several important functions, dogs can manage to live a normal life without a spleen if it has to be removed. The most common reasons for removal (splenectomy) are if the spleen has ruptured (usually after a road traffic accident), or if it develops a tumour.

Malignant splenic masses frequently metastasize to the liver or heart. Either one is bad news, but you may find comfort in the certainty of the knowledge that your dog's prognosis is poor. Most dogs with malignant splenic masses succumb to their disease within a few months, sometimes even weeks, of surgery.

Clinical signs of a splenic mass are commonly due to rupture of the mass and internal bleeding. These signs, which come on suddenly, include acute weakness or collapse, pale gums and a rapid heart rate. As the internal bleeding progresses, the abdomen becomes distended with blood.

Life expectancy

When a splenic mass is benign, your pet may live for many more years following the surgery. If the tumour has already spread, then your pet may live quite comfortably for an additional three to six months, before the spread of the cancer causes other issues such as bleeding or breathing difficulties.

Hemangiosarcoma - This form of cancer one of the most aggressive dog cancers and requires emergency intervention. Hemangiosarcoma tumors can grow very large and are often found in the spleen, but may grow anywhere blood vessels are present and can spread to the heart, lungs and other organs.

Non-cancerous reasons for splenic tumors or splenic enlargement include various infections, immune-mediated diseases, and obstructions to blood flow through or out of the spleen. We have found some splenic tumors as part of routine physical exams; the owners had noticed no signs.

Life without a spleen is still a great life!

Despite serving so many important functions for the body, a dog doesn't actually need a spleen. As long as your dog is otherwise healthy, he or she can continue to live a full and active life after the splenectomy recovery period.