Dog collapsed: Can vets diagnose splenic cancer without biopsy?

Question

My dog had to be euthanized due to a bleeding splenic tumor. We came home and found her collapsed. Rushed her to the vet, vet suggested splenectomy, we agreed. Then she did bloodwork and a chest x Ray and said she was very very sick and it was cancer and she advised against the surgery. She suggested we put her down and that she would have a month after surgery if she lived through it. I can’t find anything online that says they can tell it is cancer without removing the spleen and a biopsy. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | spayed | 40 lbs

Rodrigo Roca, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello, I am incredibly sorry to hear about your loss of Daisy. Based on the information you provided it sounds like the veterinarian's primary concern was a cancer called hemangiosarcoma. This is a very aggressive form of cancer that causes bleeding tumors in the spleen and liver. Surgery and follow-up chemotherapy is the recommended treatment. You are correct in that the tumor is submitted for biopsy after removal to reach a definitive diagnosis. Prior to moving forward with surgery, your veterinarian performed chest x-rays to look for evidence of metastasis, or travel of the cancer to the lungs. Hemangiosarcoma almost always leads to metastasis. Based on what you say, I suspect that your veterinarian saw evidence of cancer within Daisy's lungs. This essentially proves (without biopsy of the tumor) that Daisy has cancer. Even if you moved forward with surgery,, she would likely only live a few weeks before the cancer in her lungs/body would cause her to become ill again. These situations are incredibly challenging and unexpected. I hope that my explanation can provide some clarity and help you to realize that you did the right thing for Daisy. Again, I am incredibly sorry for your loss.

Dog collapsed: Can vets diagnose splenic cancer without biopsy?

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