Tell me about hemangioma and mangiosarcoma in dogs
April 11, 2012 8:46 AM   Subscribe

Tell me about your experience with hemangioma and hemangiosarcoma in dogs.

Our 8-ish year old spayed female dog, probably a golden/poodle mix but we're not sure, had a tumor removed yesterday. The vet said it's likely either a hemangioma or a hemangiosarcoma. The tumor has been sent for histopathology and we will know more about it in a few days.

It was a subcutaneous tumor, located on the left side of her neck. She now has about a 2" wound where the tumor was removed. She is recovering nicely.

The tumor seemed to appear slowly and did not cause her any pain or problems. Her bloodwork panel was perfect and she hasn't had any other symptoms of cancer like general malaise, loss of appetite, etc. (She had her teeth cleaned yesterday, and the vet said that went perfectly fine.)

Best case scenario: it's a benign hemangioma. But I'm sure that comes with its own set of risks for recurrance. Anything you can tell me about your experience with hemangiomas or hemangiosarcoma would be appreciated, especially if they're subcutaneous tumors. Most of the literature on the web focuses on hemangiosarcomas on the spleen, heart and other internal organs.

I have a very talented, compassionate veterinarian whose advice I trust implicitly. But, it would help to hear what your experience is with this type of illness.
posted by FergieBelle to Pets & Animals (1 answer total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
My family had a dog about a decade ago that died of subcutaneous hemangiosarcoma. She was a 10 year old chocolate lab. A subcutaneous tumor grew on her side fairly quickly (weeks?) to about 3-4 inches in diameter by the time a vet saw her. No other symptoms really, at most some fatigue. A surgery was performed to remove the tumor. In the next week or so, she was very tired and didn't heal well, repeatedly bleeding through the bandages. A second surgery was attempted but unsuccessful. Because hemangiosarcomas originate in blood vessels, there can be lots of bleeding and difficulty closing up the site of the operation, or that's my layman's understanding.

I'm sorry that you're having to deal with this. It's obviously a good sign that your dog is recovering well, and as you're aware there are many different outcomes from this. I wish the best for your dog.
posted by Durin's Bane at 12:30 PM on April 11, 2012


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