# hemangiosarcoma In grandparent of pup-opinions please



## SwimDog (Sep 28, 2014)

The main question for me would be how old was he? 7 or 8 is different than 14.


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

I would want to know how old he was when he died and the family history on longevity on both sides of the pedigree. And honestly, we do not know the heritability of hemangio at this point. There does seem to be a familial link with some cancers, but was this dog an outlier or one in a line of early cancer deaths?


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## sandieandangel (Aug 3, 2015)

Grandpa was 7 years old. The only other issue in her lineage was the dams grandfather (on her mothers side) who died from an Unknown cancer at 14 years. All other parents, grandparents and great grandparents do no have a reason listed for death but made it to the 10-14 year age span.


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## bethlehemgolden (Aug 2, 2014)

sandieandangel said:


> Grandpa was 7 years old. The only other issue in her lineage was the dams grandfather (on her mothers side) who died from an Unknown cancer at 14 years. All other parents, grandparents and great grandparents do no have a reason listed for death but made it to the 10-14 year age span.


Are you getting this from k9 data? If you have a link to the pairing. I'd like to see it if you would share it.


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## Christen113 (Dec 3, 2014)

You may find that the breeder knows the actual causes even if they're not entered. I spoke with one breeder that pointed out that you can really get lost in k9data-and it's true and really helped change my outlook and attitude in my search. Eventually once you decide you want a golden, I personally think it's really important to really discuss with the breeders. That said, I rule out plenty of litters immediately when I look at the pedigrees because I can't get past early cancer deaths. 

To me, a early cancer death at 7 is a concern. I ultimately decided on a puppy knowing that the father died of hemangio but he was 11 (frozen breeding) and the rest of the line showed excellent (12-16 for the most part) longevity. Ideally, I think we'd all avoid cancer completely but it's impossible. I purposely chose to stay away from lymphoma due to the known hereditary link but now what I've read shows that hemangio and lymphoma are both probably genetic. In my mind, early cancer is more of a concern and most likely shows more of a genetic component. Over time, cells are going to mutate so cancer at an old age to me could be more environmental. I have read some things that back up that theory but I don't have them readily available and I don't really have any proof.

After my dog Lacey passed away of hemangio, I was talking to my vet. Eventually a dog is going to die and hemangio normally happens so fast that there isn't much time for the dog to suffer. In Lacey's case, she only had about 4 bad hours. That weekend, I actually thought to myself that she was the happiest she'd been in a long time. On the other hand, hemangio is the worst in my opinion for the owner because it leaves you with very little time to prepare.


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## 3 goldens (Sep 30, 2005)

Christen 113, Our 7 year old Great Pyrenees Shaggy, new adopted 3 1/2 weeks earlier was a happy go lucky, exploring (tho blind since birth) boy, trotting around in the yard doing his Pyrenees patrol, eating his 3 meals, wanting ear rubs. The next morning he didn't want breakfast or to go outside. Collapse on the way to the car getting him to vet. Once there, every indication of internal bleeding--white gums, pale tongue, bruised stomach. Ultrasound showed ruptured tumor on spleen (confirmed by necropsy). He would have been gone in a couple of hours but we decided to reealse him with no more suffering and held his head telling him I loved him, hubby stroking his side telling him he loved him, as that awesome boy passed. I agree, most hae a happy go lucky playful dog and it can be gone in just hours. YOU JUST NEVER KNOW.


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## Christen113 (Dec 3, 2014)

3 goldens said:


> Christen 113, Our 7 year old Great Pyrenees Shaggy, new adopted 3 1/2 weeks earlier was a happy go lucky, exploring (tho blind since birth) boy, trotting around in the yard doing his Pyrenees patrol, eating his 3 meals, wanting ear rubs. The next morning he didn't want breakfast or to go outside. Collapse on the way to the car getting him to vet. Once there, every indication of internal bleeding--white gums, pale tongue, bruised stomach. Ultrasound showed ruptured tumor on spleen (confirmed by necropsy). He would have been gone in a couple of hours but we decided to reealse him with no more suffering and held his head telling him I loved him, hubby stroking his side telling him he loved him, as that awesome boy passed. I agree, most hae a happy go lucky playful dog and it can be gone in just hours. YOU JUST NEVER KNOW.


So sad. It's really a devastating disease. As mine get older I think I will do ultrasounds in hopes of finding tumors early and at a treatable stage. 

I had just taken Lacey into the vet and had spoken to the vet that morning about her blood work. Everything looked good, but she was slightly anemic which in retrospect, was the hemangio but she was scheduled for surgery in a couple days and they were going to check it then. Obviously, they weren't overly concerned and physically they didn't find anything in the exam. My husband called me at work and she wouldn't come out of her kennel-but she was MY dog and sometimes got a little stubborn so again, I really didn't think anything of it. I left work early though because he thought she really wasn't feeling well. When I got home, I got her to come upstairs and eat a little piece of turkey-but she obviously wasn't feeling well...and then I saw her stomach was distended. We took her to the ER vet and our vet called back on the way over and braced us for the diagnosis. I'll be forever thankful that he called back and also told us that we should plan to put her to sleep if it was in fact hemangio because even with surgery the survival rate is dismal. We made the tough decision but I still believe that it was the right decision for her. It was truly the worst day of my life and I don't think I've ever cried that much or that hard or been in such shock. But I'm grateful that Lacey was happy and healthy until the very end and that I didn't let her suffer. I just hope and pray that the two I have now live long, healthy lives.


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## Lelamarie (Dec 21, 2015)

If you got a puppy please read the UC Davis study on Golden Retriever and how to avoid cancers in golden's .. because of hemagiosarcoma I would not get a golden retriever again. Lost my beloved Tucker at 6. His mother died of the disease also. Lost Indy at 9.. 

This study is the only link to the possibility of avoiding cancers by not fixing your dogs early and a proper died, avoid over vaccination and flea and tick treatments when possible, especially in early puppyhood.. 

Please read these articles. I wrote a long note but for some reason it got lost and I don't have the energy to do it again. 

I don't think there is a way to get a safe golden retriever from a breeder. But ask questions especially about any cancers in their dogs. I doubt they have this information.

There is some hope in the UC Davis Study of cancer in Golden Retrievers.. by not fixing the dogs early or at all.. feeding organic whole food diets. Avoiding chemicals and kibble.. Avoiding over vaccination.. and keep your puppies safe from dogs that carry disease such as dog park especially until the puppy is old enough to finish their vaccine but spread them out so they don't get them all at one.. Don't continue to get vaccination just because it is time.. get a titer to is if the dog even needs it. I am not getting any more vaccination for my 14 year old.. I use an organic flea treatment.. but she stay pretty close to home. You will have to weigh the risk with the risk of infection by the information on diseases in your area... but wait for the puppy to get old enough before bombarding his immune system with all the drugs and vaccines. There are things you can do to boost immune systems.. Organic whole food and avoid all grocery store and non organic kibbles. avoid grain.. corn especially.. they don't need it. give them whole healthy foods instead. We cook for ourselves , cook for you dog.. it isn't that hard.. their are so many good foods we can fix and their are great organic foods I keep in the freezer for those days I don't have people food available. 

I decided to get a Goldendoodle because of the hope of possibly breeding out the diseases in the first breeding F1.. I hope this will help. I will not fix my dog early if at all. If we can be responsible parents we can keep our dogs from breeding.. for as long as possible anyway. This study show all the problems with fixing our dogs early, and the this especially deals with Golden's which this seems even more of a problem with. it also leads to other problems with bone and ligament problems and aggression in older dogs. This is the opposite of what they alway told us. We need to get educated and be responsible dog owners. We have to treat them and be willing to cook or buy high grade people food, organic meat and vegetable.. I make bone broth from cooking the meat bones for 12 hours. I crush the soft bones and add to my dogs organic chicken soup. 

I wish I had known all of this when my dogs were puppies. The shelter and humane society push fixing the animals early because we have way to many dogs and cats but a responsible puppy parents we should be able to follow the rules of raising a puppy to adulthood without fixing them .. Also look at other options that are just now coming to light .. ways to fix your animals once it is an adult, without sending them into a menopause early and reducing the amount of hormones needed for the development of a healthy adult dog. 

Get a good health plan. it is cheaper if you buy it early.. 

Don't fall for the surgeries if you can avoid it. if your dog already has hemangiosarcoma the cost of treatment will be devastating and is really to late. You have to do the right things when you first get the puppy to avoid those things that can lead to cancer. 

I have one golden that didn't have hemagiosarcoma. She is a healthy 14. She was bred by a small breeder. But I think I was just lucky. Losing 2 of my beloved friends was more then I can handle. My oldest dog lived the longest. 

If you can find a breeder that keeps info on the dogs that have past away for can in the bloodline then go with that one. I doubt if that exists.. If there is cancer in the bloodline then the chances are high that it will be handed down. But if you already have a puppy please read this article and everything you can about keeping your dog healthy.


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## gold4me (Mar 12, 2006)

Christen113 said:


> So sad. It's really a devastating disease. As mine get older I think I will do ultrasounds in hopes of finding tumors early and at a treatable stage.
> 
> 
> The only problem I have with doing ultrasounds thinking I will catch a tumor early is that we had an ultrasound on our Pete and he had a clear report. Five months later he collapsed and had his spleen out because a tumor had ruptured. It was hemangiosarcoma and the tumor was the size of an orange. It had grown in that short period of time. So my question would be how often would one have to do ultrasounds????
> ...


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

@Lelamarie - I lost two golden retrievers to hemangiosarcoma. Technically speaking the one for sure. The other never woke up after the surgery to remove his spleen. The one dog was almost 14 and the other was almost 13. Both had long, full, good, etc lives. 

We did not grieve as much for these dogs as we did when losing our first dog. First dog was only 6 and died in his prime. Kidney issues that may have been avoided with more careful breeding behind him. The symptoms and end actually were very similar to what you'd experience with cancer.... except with hemangio - the dogs go pretty quickly, whereas there's more prolonged suffering with the kidney failure. 

By comparison - losing the next two dogs to cancer was nothing. Those dogs did not suffer more than a few days, if that. The one dog was sick for just a day. He was rushed to the vet and given the "surgery or PTS" decision, we chose surgery. Even though he died from a blood clot the next morning and we were stuck paying the $2K bill... we would have done it again. 

I have two golden retrievers today - and an 11 year old rough collie. All three might develop cancer at some point. We'll cross that bridge when we get there. Bottom line though, having the breeds you love is worth it. 

With the poodle mutts out there - many of them are likely to inherit flaws and genes from both parents. I don't believe that breeding two different breeds means that you will miraculously only get the good genes and none of the bad genes from the parents. 

Poodles have plenty of cancer issues. But add to that the fact that the kinds of people who are producing mixed breeds are breeding what they can get their hands on. Which means you may well have very unhealthy dogs behind your dog. The kinds of dogs that a responsible breeder would not touch.

There are very responsible, dedicated, and successful breeders in the golden retriever breed who have had some luck in avoiding too much young cancer with their dogs... but they obey club rules and would neuter their own dogs rather than use them to produce mixed breeds.


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

Lelamarie said:


> I don't think there is a way to get a safe golden retriever from a breeder. But ask questions especially about any cancers in their dogs. I doubt they have this information.
> 
> (snip)
> I decided to get a Goldendoodle because of the hope of possibly breeding out the diseases in the first breeding F1..
> ...


 
I'm sorry for your losses- and I would posit that any good breeder keeps info on all the puppies they have produced and their health issues. I would also posit that an early cancer (before 10) is a different critter than a young one, and that young cancers are the ones that are most likely to have a genetic component...but environment plays a handful of the cards that determine the outcome, so genetics are not everything. 
I also hope you are lucky in the doodle, because the reality is you have chosen two very health issue prone breeds from which to get a puppy, and most, if not all, doodle breeders are not exactly what we'd call reputable. So don't anyone buy into the hybrid health story- it simply isn't true. And you have a pool of people breeding who have even less info than the Golden folks do to go on.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

I just lost my golden Finn over 13 and lost Joplin at almost 16. Both were neutered young bc the research we have now wasnt there, both got yearly vaccines in the standard protocol, and both ate mainly kibble( Joplin Eukanuba Premium Performnace, Finn Fromm Chicken Ala Veg). I also have lost goldens to hemangio- Raleigh and Acadia. I dont really know that there is such a direct doom to finding it in the pedigree once, but there are no promises either. It is sad but there is more we do not know about why one dog gets hemangio and another doesn't than what we do know. 

As for doodles, we teach alot of them in our training center, and just a few weeks ago an adorable "double doodle" died of hemangio. There just arent the good stats kept for mixed breed dogs , and breeds with organized parent clubs like Bernese MT Dog or Golden. Penn hip shows doodles with more hip laxity then any of their parent breeds. I suspect this is bc reputable breeders of poodles, labs, and goldens dont breed fully cleared stock into doodle ventures often. There is no basis to say that is in any way a healthier dog.

It is so sorrowful that dogs get cancer and that people do- that is why our dog Mystic is in the Morris Foundation cancer study.


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## ceegee (Mar 26, 2015)

This year I lost my wonderful 8 year-old golden to cardiac hemangiosarcoma. She came from healthy, long-lived lines. Her parents, grandparents and great-grandparents lived to a ripe old age (her father is still alive). Her breeder is highly reputable and highly knowledgeable. And still the cancer got her. All her siblings are fine. I'm pretty sure there are no environmental factors in our home: our cat is 18 years old and still going strong, and our previous dog lived to be nearly 15. We just drew the "short straw".

Having been through the trauma of losing a young, healthy dog, it would certainly give me pause to see that a close relative of a prospective pup had died early from hemangiosarcoma, but honestly, I don't think there's any rhyme or reason to this disease. Until the research produces some answers, there's no way of saying if it's hereditary or not. I'd look at the heath of the affected dog's offspring and siblings, and base my decision on that. Age of death would also be a factor. As others have said, a dog dying of cancer at age 13 is not the same as a dog dying at age 5.


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## cgriffin (Nov 30, 2011)

I have lost three goldens and one lab mix to hemangiosarcoma. The youngest was 5.5 years old, the oldest was almost 13 years old. 
The retriever breeds are susceptible to hemangio, just something we have to live with till a cure or prevention is found. I don't necessarily buy into the neutering furthers cancer or that leaving them intact prevents cancer on some level. 

All my goldens that died of hemangio were intact, my lab mix was neutered at 13 months. 

The mom of my third golden died at almost 8 of hemangiosarcoma - my baby, her son lived to 10, his dad lived to 13. I don't know the cause of death of the dad. But, since both my second and third golden who died of hemangio, were related as in uncle and nephew, I definitely went with another breeder next time. 

I have a 2 year old golden, he is intact and will remain intact like all my other goldens before him. It scares me to think of the future and whether he will go down the same path - I hope not and knock on wood, I have not heard of hemangio being prevalent in his line - have not heard of any cases anyway. He has a lot of long living relatives and no cause of death is of hemangiosarcoma that I know of. That does give me a piece of mind. 

But, that said, I also would never want to live without a golden in my life. We just have to make sure to love them and give them the best possible life for the time we have them.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Lelamarie said:


> If you got a puppy please read the UC Davis study on Golden Retriever and how to avoid cancers in golden's...
> 
> This study is the only link to the possibility of avoiding cancers by not fixing your dogs early and a proper died, avoid over vaccination and flea and tick treatments when possible, especially in early puppyhood..


Umm, the UC Davis study supports almost none of these claims. There were some correlations between neutering status and some cancer types, but if you look at the data, there are relatively small numbers of dogs involved in some of these claims. For example, with things like lymphosarcoma, only maybe 20 of the bitches got it, so claiming definitive differences between the spayed and intact groups is a little presumptive. Also, neutering/spaying _age_, as you claim, didn't affect occurrence of all cancers across the board. Sometimes it was intact/neutered status where age didn't matter, sometimes later neutering lowered a risk, and sometimes it raised it. Gender was also a huge factor.

As far as "overvaccination," which isn't an actual scientific term, the UC Davis study shows no correlations whatsoever between vaccination and cancer (the word vaccine does not appear in the paper once). And certainly nothing about flea and tick treatments (also doesn't mention them). And, the one large-scale longitudinal survey we have from the GRCA shows an opposite correlation to the one you claim, in which topspot-treated dogs had _lower_ rates of some cancers.

So let's focus on the real evidence, rather than running on assumptions: 


Vaccination: sounds scary, but it's provably harmless when it comes to cancer, and any risks it carries are statistically insignificant compared to its benefits. Alternative vaccination schedules have no demonstrated benefit, but they are probably harmless if you're careful and you work with your vet. However, skipping vaccines without definitive evidence that they're still effective offers no proven benefits and plenty of proven risks of killing your dog with a preventable disease.
Delaying neutering: _may_ be helpful, but there's plenty of evidence that suggests that neutering's impact on lifespan is either neutral or positive. So let's not induce panic in new owners by acting like it's a major health crisis to neuter a dog.
Organic food: nice but has no proven health benefits.

What is the real evidence for increasing longevity significantly? Lean dogs live, on average, almost two years longer than even moderately overweight dogs. They also experience a delay of almost two years in the onset of many geriatric diseases like arthritis, heart disease, and even cancer. You want your dog to live longer? Keep him lean. Maybe avoid the bottom of the barrel dog foods, but beyond that, once you're in the realm of normal, AAFCO-approved dog foods, quantity is more important than nitpicking ingredients.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Also, to answer OPs issue more directly, a single case of cancer just doesn't offer meaningful statistical information. Cancer is such a complicated and poorly understood interaction of genes and environment that a single dog wouldn't rationally tell you much.

However, if a grandparent or parent died super young, it would give me the heebies, and I'd probably avoid the litter. Not for any rational reason, though.

Also, anecdotally, so many of the doodles I've taught or who've been owned by friends and family have had health issues, including skin, cardiac, digestive, and neurological problems. My impression (not data) is that they're not a robust kind of dog. I would definitely not turn to doodles if I were looking for a longer-lived or sturdier dog. You know what seems to live forever? Small/medium terriers. You practically can't turn around at our training center without stepping on a JRT in its mid-teens. I'm not a terrier guy, but man those dogs keep on ticking.


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## Jud (Aug 10, 2015)

Christen113 said:


> So sad. It's really a devastating disease. As mine get older I think I will do ultrasounds in hopes of finding tumors early and at a treatable stage.
> 
> I had just taken Lacey into the vet and had spoken to the vet that morning about her blood work. Everything looked good, but she was slightly anemic which in retrospect, was the hemangio but she was scheduled for surgery in a couple days and they were going to check it then. Obviously, they weren't overly concerned and physically they didn't find anything in the exam. My husband called me at work and she wouldn't come out of her kennel-but she was MY dog and sometimes got a little stubborn so again, I really didn't think anything of it. I left work early though because he thought she really wasn't feeling well. When I got home, I got her to come upstairs and eat a little piece of turkey-but she obviously wasn't feeling well...and then I saw her stomach was distended. We took her to the ER vet and our vet called back on the way over and braced us for the diagnosis. I'll be forever thankful that he called back and also told us that we should plan to put her to sleep if it was in fact hemangio because even with surgery the survival rate is dismal. We made the tough decision but I still believe that it was the right decision for her. It was truly the worst day of my life and I don't think I've ever cried that much or that hard or been in such shock. But I'm grateful that Lacey was happy and healthy until the very end and that I didn't let her suffer. I just hope and pray that the two I have now live long, healthy lives.


After going through losing the 'love of my life' to Hem. at 12 when in all areas she was still as healthy as a puppy…..I will do the same with my new puppy Skye, the ultrasounds starting at 7-8. Luckily…Cara knew to come over and dropped (she knew Dad would jump into action as he always had) under my legs and so I got her to the vet and they were able to operate as the hem. was just on her spleen and all was clear so she was good for possible therapy. Even with all the therapies that were supposed to prolong her life to 6 months and maybe to a year (I did EVERYTHING…still in debt)…she died 7 weeks later but…what a great 7 weeks she had. She was a very stoic dog so I am sure she didn't feel quite herself from the meds…but we played…ran…walked…cuddled ….hung together……and then seven weeks later she just dropped again under my legs and we then let her go while I held her. I've never hated anything more (well..maybe Adolph Hitler) …than this disease. So I agree…don't do any of the fancy Senior-dog testing..which I did and was a waste of money…just get the ultra sound…at least you can catch something very, very early….and that always means a better prognosis…especially if it is Hem. and the tumor hasn't bled !


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## Jud (Aug 10, 2015)

Megora said:


> @Lelamarie - I lost two golden retrievers to hemangiosarcoma. Technically speaking the one for sure. The other never woke up after the surgery to remove his spleen. The one dog was almost 14 and the other was almost 13. Both had long, full, good, etc lives.
> 
> We did not grieve as much for these dogs as we did when losing our first dog. First dog was only 6 and died in his prime. Kidney issues that may have been avoided with more careful breeding behind him. The symptoms and end actually were very similar to what you'd experience with cancer.... except with hemangio - the dogs go pretty quickly, whereas there's more prolonged suffering with the kidney failure.
> 
> ...


Hem. at 7? Even one dog? Stay away! I lost Cara at 12 and if it had been 7….I'd truly would have had to been medicated on an SSRI. Don't even take the chance. You can read about my experience with this 'horrific' disease if you look at my first posts. Good luck!


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## Otis-Agnes (Nov 24, 2015)

We lost Abby last week from hemangiosarcoma. She was 8. She lived 3 more weeks after her ultrasound. Our previous golden, Haylie, died a few years ago from Lymphoma. Haylie was diagnosed at age 6 and lived for another year on chemo. We now have Penny, who's 3. She's a rescue and said to be golden & cocker spaniel (she looks like a small golden). I'm just so scared to get another golden. My heart is so broken, but my husband insists that when we're ready to get another, that it will be a golden. We'll see... Agnes


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

ceegee said:


> This year I lost my wonderful 8 year-old golden to cardiac hemangiosarcoma. She came from healthy, long-lived lines. Her parents, grandparents and great-grandparents lived to a ripe old age (her father is still alive). Her breeder is highly reputable and highly knowledgeable. And still the cancer got her. All her siblings are fine. I'm pretty sure there are no environmental factors in our home: our cat is 18 years old and still going strong, and our previous dog lived to be nearly 15. We just drew the "short straw".
> 
> Having been through the trauma of losing a young, healthy dog, it would certainly give me pause to see that a close relative of a prospective pup had died early from hemangiosarcoma, but honestly, I don't think there's any rhyme or reason to this disease. Until the research produces some answers, there's no way of saying if it's hereditary or not. I'd look at the heath of the affected dog's offspring and siblings, and base my decision on that. Age of death would also be a factor. As others have said, a dog dying of cancer at age 13 is not the same as a dog dying at age 5.


I am so sorry for the loss of your 8 year old- too young! I completely agree with you post, and see eye-to-eye with you.


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## ceegee (Mar 26, 2015)

Ljilly28 said:


> I am so sorry for the loss of your 8 year old- too young! I completely agree with you post, and see eye-to-eye with you.


Thanks, Ljilly. Much too young. At the time of her death she was the reigning Canadian agility champion in her class, and had just received her Lifetime Achievement Award for agility. To say her death was devastating is a gross understatement. It happened in the space of a few days: apparently fit and healthy on the Friday, gone by the following Wednesday.

I've spent the year fundraising for canine cancer research, and have asked everyone who wants to give me a gift this Christmas to make a donation to the same cause.

It's a terrible disease and I completely understand the OP's desire to avoid it at all costs. Problem is, you just can't. Never in a million years did I think my dog would fall victim to it.


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## Rion05 (Jan 4, 2016)

I did not realize when I got my pup that his grandsire had died of hemangiosarcoma right before his 8th birthday. I found out years later. On the flip side, my dog's pedigree is also filled with dogs who have lived 14+ years! Also, a son of this same grandsire lived to be 17.

Truthfully - my heart STOPPED when my dog needed his spleen out (emergency bleed) on his 12th birthday. But he was 12. It also turned out that it was NOT hemangiosarcoma, but a benign hematoma causing the bleed.

FWIW, my almost 12-1/2-year-old boy turned out not to have hemangiosarcoma, but DID have thyroid cancer (now treated) discovered on the same emergency visit. Up until that time, he was remarkably healthy. He is intact and has been titered instead of vaccinated since puppyhood.

I certainly would prefer NOT to see early cancer deaths in a golden's pedigree. Unfortunately, genetics are complex and it is tough to find a cancer-free golden pedigree.  I think that my goal in looking at a pedigree now would be to see a great deal of longevity versus a cancer free pedigree (which if you really dig, may be impossible to find).


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

> =Rion05;6232626
> I certainly would prefer NOT to see early cancer deaths in a golden's pedigree. Unfortunately, genetics are complex and it is tough to find a cancer-free golden pedigree.  I think that my goal in looking at a pedigree now would be to see a great deal of longevity versus a cancer free pedigree (which if you really dig, may be impossible to find).


This is beginning to look more and more like the most realistic strategy for the time being, keep donating and keep hoping....


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