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Spleen Cancer in an Older German Shepherd: Signs That Are Easy to Miss

Reader Question
Early this morning I had to have my 10-year-old female German Shepherd put to sleep. She had spleen cancer that had spread to other organs. While it probably wouldn't have changed how long she lived, I didn't recognize the signs. I was away for a month, and soon after I left she went off her food and became lethargic. We thought she was depressed because I wasn't there. When I came back she perked up, but she would only eat chicken and treats, and she was much slower on walks, which I put down to her arthritis. After I was away again for a week, she'd lost a little weight and seemed weaker in her back legs. I planned to take her to the vet the next day, but at 4 am her breathing was deep and labored, she couldn't stand or walk properly, and her gums were very pale. We went to an emergency appointment, and an X-ray confirmed what the vet suspected. My advice: if you have an aging arthritic dog, don't assume anything.


Answer from Our Team

We're so sorry for your loss. Please don't blame yourself. Splenic hemangiosarcoma can grow for a long time without obvious signs, and it almost always goes undiagnosed until the late stages. The early signs, like a poor appetite, slowing down and weakness, are vague and easy to put down to age, arthritis or missing you. Many careful owners and vets don't recognize it until a tumor bleeds.

German Shepherds are one of the breeds most often affected. The signs you saw that night, deep labored breathing, pale gums and being unable to stand, are classic signs of internal bleeding from a ruptured tumor, and you did exactly the right thing by getting her to an emergency vet. When hemangiosarcoma has already spread, earlier detection usually doesn't change the outcome much, and even with surgery most dogs live only a few months.

Your advice is a good one for other owners. Weight loss, weakness and appetite changes in an older dog deserve a vet visit, and collapse, pale gums, fast breathing or a swollen belly are emergencies.

See spleen tumors in dogs and hemangiosarcoma in dogs.

This is general information, not a diagnosis. Please follow your own vet's advice.

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