English cocker with hemangiosarcomas in oral mucous

Paula

New Member
Owned by
3 cockers
My 12 yr old black English Cocker Aggie last week had a growth removed from her inner lip/cheek. our vet called today with results ans stated it was very rare hemangiosarcomas in the oral mucous and that it is only found in about 5% of oral tumors in dogs. the vet stated he took 1/2-3/4 cm border around the stalk of the growth.
Any advise from anyone would be helpful. We will watch for new growths and go from there. We just rescued her and he life long buddy a blonde English Cocker named Lady last fall to help our 13 yr old American Cocker Ellie get over the loss of her life long buddy Ashley a blue roan English cocker who passed last summer at the age of 17. (both Ellie and Ashley were rescued in 2005 from a puppy mill in northern Maine).
Needless to say I am in a bit if shock and was not thinking we could possibly lose a dag so soon,
thought we would get a few years with the 1 new rescues.
 
I'm so sorry, I hope your vet got it all. I lost a cocker to cancer of the soft pallet.. I know how you are feeling.
 
thanks, going to be tough to determine how she is feeling day to day. When we adopted her last fall we found that she was a bit of a whinner/crier. It appears her previous owner carried her around a lot, (she's only 17 pounds)-she always wants to be picked up.
She did come with medical records showing she had rods and screws in her front left leg, and is very arthritic. This spring we had our local vet x-ray her from head to toe and evaluated for arthritis. The x-rays showed a horrible looking spine with multiple damaged and collapsed- non existing disks. So she is on meds when needed to help with the joint pain.
I am disabled to due degenerative disk disease in my back and have rods and screws holding things together so I understand Aggie's pain when the weather changes etc.
Here is my concern - how do I tell if she is having a bad day due to her bad neck and spine or is/has the cancer spread somewhere thus causing her an issue.

The vet stated he took large margins but since this is a rare location for this type of tumor he can not tell us much.
The tumor in her mouth was not there in Feb when she had her teeth cleaned, so it grew quickly.
Her next vet appointment is set for end of Aug for shots. At that time we will do an x ray of chest -belly to compare to the x ray done in the Spring. From there on my initial thoughts are that I will check her mouth every week for signs of regrowth and take her to the vet every 3 months so he can put his hands on her and take a look at her. But is that the correct course of action to take? How do I tell if this whinny dog is just looking for attention or if something is wrong with her? I can't be taking her to the vet constantly- that would be insane and I'd be broke in no time.

I'm afraid my imagination will get the better of me and I will start thinking her issues are cancer related versus old dog with bad arthritis.
Any suggestions would be helpful and appreciated.
 
I'm sorry. Hemangiosarcomas are nasty beasts IME. Enjoy every minute you have with her.
 
Sorry, that last post of Paula's wasn't approved till now. Paula, you can post now without approval. It will be difficult to tell why she is in pain or if she's seeking attention. Some following symptoms I've noticed could be: panting, shaking, unable to sleep, tiny yelps. You might notice a change in her gait with muscle/joint pain. If the pain medication helps with these symptoms then you know it was pain and not attention seeking.
 
Paula I think your plan of action is perfect. Another thing you could do for your peace of mind is take her in to see an Oncologist.
 
Back
Top