Haemangiosarcoma
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Haemangiosarcoma is a very aggressive form of cancer. It is most commonly found in the spleen and/or heart, and spreads rapidly to cause tumours throughout the body. It builds its own blood vessel network, disrupting organ function. It is usually diagnosed in the advanced stages, making it a hard cancer to beat. Because it spreads so easily, it comes with a poor prognosis.
Haemangiosarcoma is a common form of cancer in dogs, and affects mostly older large breeds, especially Golden Retrievers and German Shepherds, although all dogs, including young ones, can be affected.
Haemangiosarcoma can also been found in the skin and under the skin, although the splenic and cardiac forms are most common. Dermal (skin) haemangiosarcoma presents as a dark skin lesion and spreads in 30% of cases. Hypodermal (under the skin) spreads in 60% of cases.
Signs shown by dogs with haemangiosarcoma in the spleen or heart include lethargy, lagging behind on walks, loss of appetite, weight loss, difficulty breathing, bleeding, and fluid in the abdomen. The cancer can also spread to the lungs and brain.
Because there are few warning signs, dogs with this disease can die within six weeks, but death can occur even faster.
Diagnosis is usually done by x-ray, although tumours affecting the heart can be hard to find. Abdominal fluid containing blood are strongly suggestive of this cancer. Inappropriate blood clotting is also indicative.
Survival from splenic haemangiosarcoma after surgery, with chemotherapy, is an average of five months.
See also:
Complementary Healthcare
Complementary Healthcare Products
Haemangiosarcoma is a very aggressive form of cancer. It is most commonly found in the spleen and/or heart, and spreads rapidly to cause tumours throughout the body. It builds its own blood vessel network, disrupting organ function. It is usually diagnosed in the advanced stages, making it a hard cancer to beat. Because it spreads so easily, it comes with a poor prognosis.
Haemangiosarcoma is a common form of cancer in dogs, and affects mostly older large breeds, especially Golden Retrievers and German Shepherds, although all dogs, including young ones, can be affected.
Haemangiosarcoma can also been found in the skin and under the skin, although the splenic and cardiac forms are most common. Dermal (skin) haemangiosarcoma presents as a dark skin lesion and spreads in 30% of cases. Hypodermal (under the skin) spreads in 60% of cases.
Signs shown by dogs with haemangiosarcoma in the spleen or heart include lethargy, lagging behind on walks, loss of appetite, weight loss, difficulty breathing, bleeding, and fluid in the abdomen. The cancer can also spread to the lungs and brain.
Because there are few warning signs, dogs with this disease can die within six weeks, but death can occur even faster.
Diagnosis is usually done by x-ray, although tumours affecting the heart can be hard to find. Abdominal fluid containing blood are strongly suggestive of this cancer. Inappropriate blood clotting is also indicative.
Survival from splenic haemangiosarcoma after surgery, with chemotherapy, is an average of five months.
Having experienced the devastating loss of two dogs from this cancer, I hate to be defeatist, but putting a dog through surgery and chemotherapy in order to keep him with us for another five months … well, that isn’t something I’d be prepared to do again. I think that alleviating our friends’ suffering is one of the hardest but most loving things we do for our dogs.
I have to say, though, that holding your dog’s hand as he suffers this disease can be one of the most profound experiences a person can have in this life. You realise that dogs are more loving and tender, and concerned for you, than is humanly possible.
But I don’t want to project my feelings about this onto you, because where there is life there is always hope. The database PubMed has over 10,000 listings of spontaneous remission from cancer. Complementary cancer therapies do exist, and include CV247, Transfer Factor, Essiac tea, flaxseed oil and cottage cheese, and a number of energy therapies such as Emotional Freedom Technique.
There is some evidence to say that Geopathic stress in the home might be involved with cancer, and other factors such as micro parasites, an acid/alkaline imbalance, and CoQ10 deficiency could be involved.
Holistic vets believe that every living being has the ability to heal and that illness only occurs when the ability to self-heal is somehow repressed. The goal of herbs and homeopathy is to improve the overall health of the body and aid in the body's own ability to heal. An option, therefore, is to ask your vet to refer you to a holistic or homoeopathic vet. The following herbs are thought to support the immune system and help in the fight against cancer.
Alfalfa may reduce the risk of cancerous growths.
Astragalus stimulates the immune system.
Burdock root supports the liver, helping to cleanse the system.
Echinacea supports the immune system.
Garlic enhances the immune system and stimulates the growth of healthy cells.
Ginger has been found to block the promotion of cancerous tumours and, in the same study, Turmeric extracts inhibited further growth of cancer cells (British Journal of Cancer, Vol. 80, No. 1/2, April 1999, pp. 110-16.). This would seem to be a good, safe, preventative supplement for our pets.
Green tea boosts and stimulates the immune system.
Reishi, Maitake and Shiitake Mushrooms have been used within the Chinese medical system for cancer prevention and treatment.
Red Clover has tumour-inhibiting properties and boosts lymphatic functions.
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