Team Tucker is walking the 5k in honor of our Beloved Tucker who passed away Dec 17 2020 at the age of 8yrs old. Tucker was diagnosed with Spleen Cancer that was un detected until it has already rupture. We would like to bring awareness to this silent killer of so many dogs.
Unfortunately, we do not know what causes or predisposes animals to develop this type of cancer but it is believed to have some genetic predisposition as German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, and Labradors are overrepresented.
In fact, many dogs that are diagnosed with splenic hemangiosarcoma present to their veterinarian on an emergent basis with a history of lethargy, decreased appetite, weight loss, acute collapse, pale to white mucous membranes and/or swelling in their abdomen.
The hope is to pursue surgery before the mass or masses rupture, but most patients present in a crisis secondary to rupture of the mass leading to emergency surgery. The median survival time for dogs with splenic HSA that receive surgery and chemotherapy is approximately 4-6 months (compared to the 1-2 months with surgery alone).
