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question re: mass on dog's spleen
Sent to Dog Experts August 03 09:57 AM

My 12 year old dog has a 6.3 cm mass on his spleen. There might be 3 or 4 mm sized nodules on his lungs but it is not definite (as seen from chest x rays). From his full blood panel and wellness exam, he has a strong heart and his blood work appears fine. Is it worth the trauma of doing the surgery to remove his spleen? If we don't do the surgery will it be a painful death for him? I hate to consider euthenasia since he is still seeming to be happy - enjoying his walks, eating, etc., but I don't want him to suffer.

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August 3 10:09 AM (11 minutes and 58 seconds later)
         
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I can tell you I lost a dog many years ago to an undetected tumor of the spleen. Usually splenic tumors are very vascular and they can rupture which is what happened to my dog. The vet did not figure out what happened until after she died and I had him do a necropsy. As she bled internally she got more and more tired until she passed away. According to the vet (who had her in his care during her last hour or so) she was not in any discomfort.
If the lung masses grow they might compromise breathing. If they are in the process of rapidly expanding I'm not sure I would do the surgery but you need to consult with a vet on that - might be drugs that will help that a lot.
If the dog's other prognosis is good and removing the spleen will prolong life long enough it may be worth doing. But if the dog may be on borrowed time due to cancer in the lungs I'd weigh the discomfort of the surgery against quality time you could spend if its not done carefully. If the dog feels fine I'd not consider euthanasia until your pet wasn't feeling well and enjoy the time you have left.
Hope this helps you!

Edited by NHolmes on August 3 2005 at 10:10 AM

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NancyH -- Dog Expert:Rescue, Train,Breed,Care100% Positive Feedback on 13687 Dog Accepts
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August 3 10:24 AM (15 minutes and 36 seconds later)
         
Reply to Nancy Holmes's Post: Thank you for your speedy reply. I am glad to know that you didn't feel your dog was suffering - that helps to know that we might be able to consider allowing him to live however much time he has left at home and happy.
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