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Dracul's Zeus of Konza
06/06/1998 - 03/13/2004
This page is in memory of our loved male Dracul's Zeus of Konza.
We love you Zeus and will miss you deeply. Let your love live on in your children.
The Loss of a Loving Companion
As time moves on for all of us, we and the dogs we love, so vary much, must part.
Many years ago, in a place that death sat on your shoulder day in and day out.
It was driven into me, take it and move on. As long as you remember the dead, they never
are completely gone. Death is not a bad thing, it is the way it comes to you that is the
bitch!!
So I will remember D. W., (Dracul Want To Be) the name I gave to Zeus when
he was born. He will live with me as do my Loki, Hammer, Baby, Sheba, and Thor.
What I ask of the people on this list and everyone else I talk dog to. GIVE your dogs a
fighting chance. Use the testing that veterinary science make’s available to us.
Every year or six months if you can afford it. Have done a CBC and IGG, the two tests are
a good window into the general health of that loving companion that would do the same and
more **for you ** if they had the checkbook.
Russ (Jake) Jacobson, owner Kennels Von Vahalla
Information below is some info on the problems that Zeus had
right before he crossed over. He had Leukemia and a Hemangiosarcoma on his spleen. I have
provide some further reading about these for all to see. We want people to see what we went
through before losing him.
Hemangiosarcoma
Hemangiosarcomas are a form of cancer which originates in the endothelium, which is the
lining of blood vessels and spleen. As might be expected of a tumor arising in the blood
system they are highly malignant and can be found almost anywhere in the body since blood
vessels are necessary in almost all body tissues. There is a strong predilection for the
spleen, pericardium and heart. These tumors are most common in middle aged or older dogs
which are medium sized or larger but can occur in any breed. German shepherds are reported
to be more susceptible to this tumor than most dog breeds. In our practice golden retrievers
also seem to have a higher than normal incidence.
Because these tumors arise in internal organs there is often little warning that they are
present prior to time they cause severe clinical signs of disease. A common estimate of the
average time from discovery of the tumor until death occurs in affected dogs is six to eight
weeks but death occurs more rapidly than this in a number of cases.
Visible bleeding, usually in the form of nosebleeds, and signs associated with blood loss,
such as tiring easily, episodes of unexplained weakness, pale color to the mucous membranes
of the mouth and eyes, increased respiratory rates, abdominal swelling and depression are
the most common presenting signs for patients with hemangiosarcoma. A few dogs just suddenly
die with no clinical signs having been noted by their families prior to death. Bleeding
disorders associated with hemangiosarcoma are sometimes confused with immune mediated
hemolytic anemia (IMHA) because the type of anemia caused by the two conditions is very
similar and early clinical signs are often very similar, as well. Hemangiosarcomas can
cause very large tumors, sometimes as large as ten or more pounds, when they affect the
spleen.
In most instances tumors of this size in this location are found on physical exam. In other
cases the tumor affects the heart and is hard to find on a physical exam and even easy to
miss or X-rays. Sometimes there are hundreds of small tumors spread throughout the body and
surgical exploration or an autopsy are the only ways to identify the problem.
The blood disorder that most commonly accompanies the presence of hemangiosarcoma tumors is
disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). This is blood clotting that is occurring
inappropriately inside the blood vessels. It uses up all of the blood clotting elements
rapidly and dogs with this condition usually have platelet deficiencies, increased blood
clotting times, decrease in fibrin content in the blood and an increase in fibrin degradation
products (FDPs). This is probably the cause of death in most dogs affected with
hemangiosarcoma.
Diagnosis of hemangiosarcoma can be accomplished in a number of ways. Identification of a
tumor in the spleen or heart raises a high degree of suspicion for this tumor. Abdominal
swelling is also highly suggestive in an older large breed dog. If fluid is aspirated from
the abdomen and it looks like blood it is even more suggestive of hemangiosarcoma. If blood
is drawn and will not clot when left in the syringe it is another sign that a dog may have
this tumor. In some cases careful evaluation of the type of bleeding disorder present is
necessary to raise the suspicion of hemangiosarcoma.
If a tumor is identified when it is small it may be possible to remove the spleen if the
tumor is there or even to remove tumors found near the heart and prolong the pet's life. Most
of the time this will not make much difference, though. These are highly malignant tumors and
most have spread by the time they can be identified. To the best of my knowledge there is not
a very successful hemotherapeutic or radiation protocol for this cancer at this time but dogs
treated with chemotherapeutic agents do live a little longer than dogs that do not receive
this treatment.
Treatment for the bleeding disorders and aggressive supportive care also prolong the life of
patients with hemangiosarcoma. If treatment for IMHA or immune mediated thrombocytopenia (ITP)
are instituted due to confusion over the underlying cause of clinical signs early in the
diagnostic process there is not likely to be any harm to the dog.
Due to the tendency to look for an inciting agent in IMHA and ITP it is a good idea to
consider an autopsy exam if a dog dies before a definite diagnosis of any of these conditions
can be made. Finding hemangiosarcoma saves a lot of agonizing over possible causes of the
death of a friend. There are no known predisposing factors other than size and breed that I
am aware of for hemangiosarcoma.
Mike Richards, DVM
Article taken from this link.
Hemangiosarcoma
Here are some more links with info.
Hemangiosarcomas, medulloblastomas, and other
tumors
Hemangiosarcoma
Splenic
Masses in Dogs
More on Splenic
Masses in Dogs
Immune System & Cancer
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