Canine Hemangiosarcoma: Understanding a Complex Cancer
One of the soft tissue neoplasms (cancer) that dog handlers fear the most is hemangiosarcoma. Dogs frequently develop hemangiosarcoma, which accounts for 5% of cases. Hemangiosarcoma can appear everywhere on the body because blood vessels are found all throughout it. It can harm any vascular organ and is highly invasive and metastatic. Hemangiosarcoma’s aggressiveness is brought on by the tumour cells’ quick hematogenous dissemination; the spleen is the most typical site of origin.
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Hemangiosarcoma in dogs is described in the following AnimalWised article, along with information on its signs, prognosis, and therapies.
What does dog hemangiosarcoma mean?
A cancerous tumour that develops from the cells lining blood arteries is called a hemangiosarcoma. It is regarded as an aggressive, malignant tumour that can metastasize locally or far and harm a number of organs. These tumours are often exceedingly fragile and blood-filled.
Approximately 80% of animals have metastases at the time of diagnosis due to its biological behaviour, which has a high rate of hematogenous or lymphatic dissemination because of tumour emboli. The dog is the pet that succumbs to the illness or is put to sleep the most frequently.
What does dog hemangiosarcoma mean?
A cancerous tumour that develops from the cells lining blood arteries is called a hemangiosarcoma. It is regarded as an aggressive, malignant tumour that can metastasize locally or far and harm a number of organs. These tumours are often exceedingly fragile and blood-filled.
Approximately 80% of animals have metastases at the time of diagnosis due to its biological behaviour, which has a high rate of hematogenous or lymphatic dissemination because of tumour emboli. The dog is the pet that succumbs to the illness or is put to sleep the most frequently.
In this regard, excessive UV exposure—the principal cause of the disease—makes short-haired or light-pigmented dogs more vulnerable. Canine cutaneous hemangiosarcoma is less aggressive and less likely to spread than canine visceral hemangiosarcoma.
The most typical skin tumours in dogs are discussed in this other article, which you might find interesting as well.
Causes of Canine Hemangiosarcoma
Hemangiosarcomas are still poorly understood in terms of their etiology. On the other hand, a number of factors are taken into account, including genetic predisposition, chemical exposure, ionizing radiation, oncogenic viruses, administration of vaccinations, and drug use.
According to several research, smoking causes dogs to proliferate more primitive endothelium cells in various models of angiogenesis, which may contribute to the development of the disease. You might also be interested in reading this other post, in which we analyze the effects of cigarette smoke on animals.
Hemangiosarcoma in Dogs:
Symptoms
Hemangiosarcoma clinical symptoms in dogs are typically correlated with the main tumor’s origin and the existence of metastases.
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The animal may have serious internal hemorrhage in the event that the tumour ruptures. The caregiver can identify internal hemorrhages by the presence of abdominal distension and symptoms typical of acute hemorrhage,
namely:
pallid mucous surfaces
Tachycardia
Tachypnea
The dog may also display additional, less typical, related symptoms, such as:
Lethargy Depression Anorexia
Loss of weight
abdomen lump that can be felt
Intolerance to exercise
If the bleeding is extremely severe, it may result in hypovolemic shock, which is death from excessive fluid and blood loss.
Less than 5% of people get primary hemangiosarcomas in their bones, which is a very low incidence. Affected long bones frequently include the humerus, femur, ribs, and vertebrae. Fractures in these locations are the most frequent symptoms.
Dogs’ ventral abdominal region, back, head, neck, scapular, axillary, inguinal, and medial femoral (inner thigh) regions are where sudden hemangiosarcomas most frequently develop. Nodular tumours or masses with a hard consistency and a reddish colour are the most typical signs.
Dog Hemangiosarcoma – Signs and Symptoms of Dog Hemangiosarcoma
Hemangiosarcoma in Dogs Diagnosed
Hemangiosarcoma may be suspected by veterinarians based on clinical symptoms and family history. Hemangiosarcoma can affect any body system, therefore tests and diagnosis vary from case to case.
Because the clinical indications of hemangiosarcoma are ambiguous, patients are typically not diagnosed until the tumour has grown to a respectable size.
The major objective of treatment is to completely remove the primary tumour in order to increase the cure rate. But before shock, the animal must first be stabilized, blood tests must be thoroughly examined, and coagulation irregularities must be fixed. All afflicted tissue must be removed surgically, especially in cases of cutaneous hemangiosarcomas.
Unfortunately, surgical surgery typically has no impact on the life expectancy of the diseased animal due to the rapid development of metastases, necessitating the administration of chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
Dogs’ lives can be prolonged by chemotherapy. It is a palliative therapy meant to improve the animal’s quality of life and bring about remission or general well-being while easing the symptoms of metastases or tumours that cannot be surgically removed.
Acupuncture has demonstrated satisfactory results in enhancing the health of the animal, postponing the onset of cancer, lengthening life expectancy, and assisting in the restoration of the organism’s equilibrium when used in conjunction with other therapy methods like those previously discussed. The treating veterinarian ultimately decides if this kind of treatment is beneficial or not based on each patient.
Do not miss the following article on cancer in dogs if you want to learn more about how it is treated in dogs.
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the lifespan of a canine with hemangiosarcoma
Hemangiosarcoma can have a wide range of effects on a dog’s life expectancy, depending on the dog’s features, the tumor’s size, operability, the presence of metastases, and the organs affected. The greater the prospects of treatment and the longer the dog will live, the earlier the diagnosis is made.
Given your knowledge about canine hemangiosarcoma, its symptoms, and effects, you shouldn’t hesitate to visit your veterinarian if you observe any early warning indications. Keep in mind that in this pathology, quick response is essential.
