# Those who have experienced cardiac hermangiosarcoma diagnosis



## OscarsDad (Dec 20, 2017)

Bumping up ^^^^^^^^^


----------



## JDandBigAm (Aug 25, 2008)

Talked to my holistic vet today and she is going to set me up with a "kit" of a few supplements for hermangiosarcoma treatment . We are going to try the chemo route and see how that goes. I will give details later about my situation. I am compiling that list of questions though and would love some insight for those that have gone through this with their dog.


----------



## DevWind (Nov 7, 2016)

I never got the chance to treat. Diagnosed on Friday and the vet said to take her home and enjoy her for the weekend and bring her back Monday to be put to sleep. She was a GSD. Sorry you have to go through this.


----------



## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

JDandBigAm said:


> Talked to my holistic vet today and she is going to set me up with a "kit" of a few supplements for hermangiosarcoma treatment . We are going to try the chemo route and see how that goes. I will give details later about my situation. I am compiling that list of questions though and would love some insight for those that have gone through this with their dog.


I'm very sorry for what you are going through. 
I don't have any experience with this.

Here is an older thread that may be helpful for you-









Cancer Diagnosis--What Should You Ask the Vet?


Oh, I should have mentioned, that her appetite is GREAT. In fact, one of the symptoms of EPI is a ravaneous appetite, which our Goldie has. I guess I could ask if the EPI test has a lot of false negatives, or, what the harm would be by treating her as though she has EPI to see what happens...




www.goldenretrieverforum.com





Sending good thoughts for you and your dog.


----------



## OscarsDad (Dec 20, 2017)

So very sorry for what you are going through. I did a Google search and there is a lot of good information out there from such organizations as the Morris Family Foundation, UPenn, the NIH, GRCA, etc. My guess is that you have already deeply immersing yourself in this so I did not think it would he helpful to provide any links. The only other thing I would suggest is if you have any doubts about the oncologists approach, recommendations, or willingness to fully include you in the educational and decision-making process consider getting a second opinion. Please keep us posted.


----------



## JDandBigAm (Aug 25, 2008)

The oncologist we talk to on Friday is Dr. Marlene Hauck who is the Professor of Oncology at University of North Carolina. She is a visiting oncologist out here in Washington and helping out at Summit Veterinary Referral Hospital. She is probably one of the best oncologists out there so I feel like I'm going to be in good hands with her. I know she is very honest and forthright with much information. Hopefully, we have caught this early so we can have a few good months left. 
Thanks, Carolina Mom for the thread on What to Ask....


----------



## ceegee (Mar 26, 2015)

I lost my Ruby to cardiac hemangiosarcoma five years ago, at age 8. She was my heart dog: my constant companion, my agility partner, certainly one of a kind. The diagnosis came out of the blue one weekend, when she became sick for the first time in her life.

It was one of the most excruciating times of my life, and I'm very sorry you are going through it now. To answer the query in your first post, I asked every imaginable question to the two oncologists who saw her after she was admitted to the emergency vet (the original oncologist and one I called in for a second opinion). And what I discovered was that there are no "correct" answers and no good options. I was told that without treatment, we could expect her to last anywhere between a few days and a handful of weeks. With aggressive treatment, perhaps a handful of weeks to anywhere between two to four months. The consensus was that she was unlikely to have more than a couple of months.

With the full support of both oncologists, I opted not to treat her. Instead I brought her home, gave her the best couple of days of her life, and had her euthanized in my lap, on her favourite cushion in our home. It is the one major decision in my life that I have not second-guessed. Having witnessed Ruby's terrible suffering over the course of the previous weekend, and knowing that any recovery would be short, I knew I didn't want her to go through that again. For us, it was the right choice. However, the aftermath was very, very hard - and still is, five years later. I have a friend who, when faced with the same decision, opted for treatment. She gained another six weeks with her dog. It was the right choice for her, and the aftermath has been equally hard. You go with your gut and you live with it.

A year later, I wrote an article about my choice. It is linked in the first post of this thread: Losing Ruby - A year later
It has helped others; if you read it, I hope it helps you.

I'm so sorry, this is an awful disease. Kind thoughts to you.


----------



## JDandBigAm (Aug 25, 2008)

ceegee said:


> I lost my Ruby to cardiac hemangiosarcoma five years ago, at age 8. She was my heart dog: my constant companion, my agility partner, certainly one of a kind. The diagnosis came out of the blue one weekend, when she became sick for the first time in her life.
> 
> It was one of the most excruciating times of my life, and I'm very sorry you are going through it now. To answer the query in your first post, I asked every imaginable question to the two oncologists who saw her after she was admitted to the emergency vet (the original oncologist and one I called in for a second opinion). And what I discovered was that there are no "correct" answers and no good options. I was told that without treatment, we could expect her to last anywhere between a few days and a handful of weeks. With aggressive treatment, perhaps a handful of weeks to anywhere between two to four months. The consensus was that she was unlikely to have more than a couple of months.
> 
> ...


Thank you for sharing your article. Maybe, a year from now I,too, will be able to share some of things I have learned from Jonah. I am so scared that I'm almost frozen on what decisions that need to be made. But we will need to decide quickly!


----------



## JDandBigAm (Aug 25, 2008)

Has anyone had experience with their golden getting Doxorubicin for cardiac hermangiosarcoma? What side effects did you experience?


----------



## Millie'sMom (Sep 7, 2012)

I did not have the option to treat. My girl had just been bred. She was not expected to live long enough to have
the puppies. I met with the oncologist and cardiologist and along with my regular vet decided that chemotherapy and/or surgery would not prolong her to any significant extent. Unfortunately, treatment is no very successful. Her
tumour was almost 6cm, located one the right atrium.


----------

