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Mysterious tumor rupture: Why do dogs suddenly fall into crisis?
In the lives of many dogs, tumors approach quietly like a shadow, and what breaks the owner’s heart the most is the sudden crisis caused by the violent rupture of the tumor. Hemangiosarcoma, a rapidly growing and highly aggressive cancer that occurs almost exclusively in dogs and rarely in cats or other animals. This kind of cancer, which comes from the vascular endothelium, often grows silently in the dog's body before the owner is aware of it. Once it ruptures, it will cause fatal consequences.
Hemangiosarcoma is one of the most common tumors in dogs, especially in German Shepherds and Golden Retrievers.
Hemangiosarcoma can form in many locations, but is most commonly found in the spleen, right heart base, or liver. When the tumor ruptures, the dog often collapses suddenly due to acute blood loss, which is the primary time many owners discover their dog has the disease. Many times, these symptoms appear silently: dogs may lack appetite, show signs of weakness, fatigue, and muscle weakness, which are often misinterpreted as signs of age or other ailments.
Clinical features
In terms of clinical features, as the tumor grows, dogs often develop abdominal distension, usually due to internal bleeding caused by the tumor. In fact, more than 50% of dogs suffer acute collapse from ruptured tumors, and these conditions are often mistaken for other health problems.
The most common clinical symptoms include: loss of appetite, irregular heartbeat, weight loss, weakness, drowsiness, abdominal swelling, and sudden death.
Diagnosing hemangiosarcoma usually requires tissue biopsy and histological examination, because imaging tests such as ultrasound or CT scan can only provide a preliminary judgment. Although cytologic extraction can provide some information, its reliability remains controversial.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Many times, veterinarians will choose to surgically remove the affected organs of the tumor, such as a splenectomy. According to reports, the average survival time after splenectomy alone is 1 to 3 months. If combined with chemotherapy, especially doxorubicin, survival time can be significantly prolonged. It's worth noting that recent research suggests that certain complementary therapies such as "turkey tail" mushroom extract may not have the expected positive effects, but may not cause any serious side effects.
Even with effective treatment after surgery, a dog’s survival time can vary greatly depending on the progression of the tumor, ranging from a few months to three years.
In addition to surgery and chemotherapy, immunotherapy is currently being developed, which may become the direction of future treatment. Of course, animal owners also need to pay attention to their dogs' daily behaviors and detect potential health problems in time.
Thinking and future hope
Faced with such a sudden and fatal disease, veterinarians and researchers are still exploring new treatments and early diagnosis technologies. In recent years, many emerging treatments and vaccines are being developed in the hope of reducing the suffering caused by hemaniosarcoma in dogs. However, as owners, how can we better care for and protect our dogs?
