# Help!!! Mass seen near spleen on X-Ray



## will333167 (Jan 28, 2009)

Please help with any thoughts you may have.

Our beloved boy was in for a routine vet visit today and the doctor felt a mass near his spleen. On x-ray, he discovered a tennis ball sized mass immedaitely to the front of and overlapping his spleen. It was very vague in appearence and almost perfecly round. The spleen appeared to be normal in size.

He is going in for an ultrasound tomorrow. 

The vet told me not to get overly concerned yet and that sometimes the ultrasound shows absolutely nothing wrong. Nevertheless, after reading all of these cancer posts, it seems like there are never happy outcomes if it is indeed a mass and not an x-ray artifact.

Are these masses ever found to be benign or are they almost always cancerous?

He is only 5 1/2 and did vomit the other day. He may be ever so slightly lethargic but I never suspected that he might be on the verge of dying.

Please help with any common experiences or thoughts you may have. I was not prepared for this.

Thanks!


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## Finn's Fan (Dec 22, 2007)

No personal experience with this particular medical problem, but please try not to worry until you've got a definitive diagnosis. Depending on what's found on ultrasound, the vet may recommend a splenectomy, removing the spleen. That could very well take care of the problem, but it does depend on the pathology of the mass. It's so hard not to panic, especially with such a young dog.


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

I am sorry you had to come to us because of this. Hopefully this thread here will give you some info and also you might send a note to hotel4dogs on her profile. Hopefully it is nothing serious and you can get some more info after the sonogram. ((((HUGS)))) and keep us up to date. Good luck

http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/showthread.php?t=49289&highlight=mass+spleen


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## will333167 (Jan 28, 2009)

Thanks you so much for the kind replies. I've been in tears already several times today. I'm praying for at least some quality time left with him.


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## amy22 (May 11, 2008)

My prayers are with you..hopefully its nothing bad....please let us know what the ultrasound says


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## Packleader (Nov 27, 2007)

Prayers for your boy. Please keep us updated on the results! You have many friends here. I know it's a scary time, but let's just wait and see what the tests reveal. Think positive thoughts!


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## 3 goldens (Sep 30, 2005)

I know exactly how you feel. I lost my golden girl to a gastrointestinal stromal tumor last May. My vet felt it while checking her. BUT THAT WAS A VERY RARE TUMOR IN A VERY RARE PLACE--- first time in 20 years my vet had ever found one of those tumors (histopath report named it) and first time he had ever seen one (softball size) that had engulfed the appendix and completely encircled where large and small intestines join. 

You can imagine my panc when Ifound a lump on the chest of my other golden girl less than 3 months later. It was removed, and was just a fatty tuor, nothing to have worried about.

And if spleen does have to be removed, your boy will do just fine without it--as i have done fine without tonsisl for 53 years and appendix for 25 years! Am saying a prayer for your guy. And do please keep us updated.


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

bumping up


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Will*

Will

Praying for you and your furry one. 
Try not to worry.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Take it one step at a time, spoil the dog, and ask your vet what the odds are that the mass is hemangiosarcoma. I'm so sorry that you're going through this.


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## Jackson'sMom (Oct 13, 2007)

My golden boy Monty had a huge benign tumor in his abdomen. The vet removed it and remarked that his abdomen looked like the Grand Canyon afterward, the tumor had been so large. So yes, sometimes they are benign.


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## coppers-mom (Jan 9, 2009)

Will,
X-rays can be wrong (I've had it happen recently). The ultrasound will show the true state of his abdomen. I'm hoping he had a shadow on the x-ray and the vet felt some leftover lunch.
If it is a tumor, it seems that the odds are 50%- 75% in favor of it being benign.:crossfing
My goldenX is scheduled for a spleenectomy next week due to two splenic "masses" found during an abdominal lutrasound that was scheduled due to a shadow on his abdominal x-ray last november. I'm hoping for the best for me and you too!
Prayers and hugs coming your way.


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## magiclover (Apr 22, 2008)

I am praying that all will be ok after the ultrasound.


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## 3SweetGoldens (Feb 28, 2007)

Praying for good news on the ultrasound. Yes, they can be benign. I have a friend whose Golden Lab had a mass removed, and it was not Cancer. Please update us all when you get the results.


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## Abbydabbydo (Jan 31, 2007)

I hope it is nothing, I know how hard it is not to worry!

My first thought was maybe it *is* a tennis ball!


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## honeysmum (Dec 4, 2007)

Will333167
I am so sorry you are going through this,please keep us updated,my thoughts and prayers are with you.


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