According to the researchers working with the Golden Retriever Club of America, one in five golden retriever dogs die from heart cancer with a life expectancy of just more than 10 years. In an effort to understand and combat this deadly disease, the club's health and genetics committee is now in its second decade of studying dogs diagnosed with the disease.
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Definition
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Heart cancer in golden retrievers spreads quickly. Heart cancer in all dogs in medical terms is called hemangiosarcoma. Hemangio means blood vessels and sarcoma means malignant cancer of the body's supporting structures. This type of cancer goes directly after blood vessels by building its own set of counterfeit blister-like blood vessels that significantly disrupt the normal blood flow through vital organs and general organ function. This cancer spreads quickly. In golden retrievers, it attacks males more than females and most often attaches itself to the right atrium of the heart.
Symptoms
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A golden retriever with heart cancer has a low energy level. A golden retriever with heart cancer exhibits some or all of the following symptoms: lethargy, loss of appetite and energy levels, weight loss, strained breathing, nosebleed, pale color in mucous membranes of mouth and eyes, vomiting and abdominal swelling.
Diagnosis
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By the time heart cancer is diagnosed, it is widespread. This disease is commonly referred to as a silent killer. Cancer tumors in the heart are extremely difficult to find even by the most trained of veterinary hands. Quite frequently heart tumors are missed via X-rays, especially when the tumor is newly-formed and surgical removal would give the dog the best chance of survival. Veterinarians typically aspirate fluid from a dog with a protruding or swollen abdomen. If the fluid appears bloody, a tumor is suspected. Blood drawn from a cancerous dog will not clot within a syringe. It is another clue many veterinarians looks for before performing more expensive blood testing.
Treatment
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Surgery and chemotherapy provide only a few extra months of life. Unfortunately, the prospects for successfully treating canine heart cancer are downright bleak. Surgical removal of the tumor generally gives a dog another two to three months of life. Combine chemotherapy with surgery and dogs live on average another four to six months. In the case of canine heart cancer, veterinarians use a drug called doxorubicin given intravenously at three week intervals. Side effects of the drug can include nausea and hair loss. It can cause tissue damage and blistering should it escape the catheter inserted into one of the dog's blood veins.
Prevention
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A healthy lifestyle and food helps prevent cancer. There are no vaccines to prevent canine heart cancer. As with humans, the best current cancer prevention measures for canines is to avoid obesity and eat healthy foods rich in beta-carotene, lycopene, vitamins A, C and E and selenium.
Genetics
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Tracing family history may help reduce risk. The Golden Retriever Club of America sponsors a variety of research projects including ones that are attempting to track the family blood lines of dogs dying from heart cancer. Some progress has been made in the past decade, but not all breeders or kennel owners participate leaving some gaps in the data. Members of the club's health and genetics committee encourage breeders to remove male and female dogs with a suspect family history from use.
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