My great dane puppy has been diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma on her leg. I've changed her diet to a no grain diet. Have started feeding her Taste of the Wild dog food. I'm giving her cottage cheese with flax oil and she is taking Nu Vet tablets. I don't want to do the chemo and will not amputate her leg. Its her back one and she weights about 122 lbs. These were the options given to me by her regular vet. I researched cancer and came up with the diet things I've stated above. I am making an appointment with an alternative vet but hoping some of you can give me more suggestions. Thank you.
Help-Dog has Hemangiosarcoma
- Thread starter Gold Dust
- Start date
Gold Dust... this is a PUPPY? That's highly unusual... are the vets certain of the diagnosis?
Is this on the skin, or under it? The only type of hemangiosarcoma which has much of any type of survival rate is the "dermal" type... a growth ON the skin. Get it removed promptly, and you've got a good chance of cure.
This is a highly aggressive cancer and will metastasize easily. As much as I hate to say it, if this involves any deeper tissues in her leg, I'd go for the amputation as soon as possible... it is likely the only way to save her. Dogs adjust quite easily to having three legs, although it will stress the joints in her other back leg because of her size.
I'm sure there are suggestions of alternatives out there- you might want to PM Loup Garou, as he was discussing some sort of alternative which had a pretty good track record in some cancers, but I can't remember the details, and it may not be available any longer.
The thing is- not all "cancers" are the same. This is one of the most dangerous ones, because it involves the blood vessels, and hence spreads readily and quickly.
I did have a dog survive a hemangiosarcoma... it was discovered by accident in my 4 year old Akita bitch when she showed signs of lameness in a back leg and while I had her at the clinic for x-rays they discovered a grossly enlarged spleen. They operated the next day, and removed the spleen. It was hemangiosarcoma. They were very doubtful that they'd caught it in time, but we were lucky- it hadn't spread, never recurred, and she lived until she was 10 when she died of bloat.
(Edited to add- that was the ONLY case of hemoangiosarcoma that vet clinic ever saw survive, in 25+ years. And it was only through a fluke of finding it before it began showing symptoms- because by then, it's almost always spread.)
But to have that chance the tumor must be removed completely as soon as possible, IF that's possible.
Summerthyme
Is this on the skin, or under it? The only type of hemangiosarcoma which has much of any type of survival rate is the "dermal" type... a growth ON the skin. Get it removed promptly, and you've got a good chance of cure.
This is a highly aggressive cancer and will metastasize easily. As much as I hate to say it, if this involves any deeper tissues in her leg, I'd go for the amputation as soon as possible... it is likely the only way to save her. Dogs adjust quite easily to having three legs, although it will stress the joints in her other back leg because of her size.
I'm sure there are suggestions of alternatives out there- you might want to PM Loup Garou, as he was discussing some sort of alternative which had a pretty good track record in some cancers, but I can't remember the details, and it may not be available any longer.
The thing is- not all "cancers" are the same. This is one of the most dangerous ones, because it involves the blood vessels, and hence spreads readily and quickly.
I did have a dog survive a hemangiosarcoma... it was discovered by accident in my 4 year old Akita bitch when she showed signs of lameness in a back leg and while I had her at the clinic for x-rays they discovered a grossly enlarged spleen. They operated the next day, and removed the spleen. It was hemangiosarcoma. They were very doubtful that they'd caught it in time, but we were lucky- it hadn't spread, never recurred, and she lived until she was 10 when she died of bloat.
(Edited to add- that was the ONLY case of hemoangiosarcoma that vet clinic ever saw survive, in 25+ years. And it was only through a fluke of finding it before it began showing symptoms- because by then, it's almost always spread.)
But to have that chance the tumor must be removed completely as soon as possible, IF that's possible.
Summerthyme
Last edited:
Tygerkittn
Veteran Member
I had a cat who had a leg amputated, he got around just fine, even climbed trees.