Amber - April's Pet of the Month  Amber, a 74 pound, 12 year old spayed female lab presented to
Heritage Animal Hospital with concerns from her owners that her abdomen appeared bloated. Her physical exam revealed a large, firm abdominal mass, pale pink mucous membranes and a prominent
backbone revealing her weight loss. Her bloodwork was suggestive of chronic bloodloss as she was anemic and had decreased protein levels. X-rays confirmed a large tumor, which obscured details of all
her normal abdominal organs. There was no gross evidence of metastases to her lungs.Our suspicion was that the tumor was most likely of splenic origin
and if that was the case, splenectomy could possibly prove curative. We see somewhat of an increased incidence of splenic tumors in older lab and german shepherd breeds. Surprisingly, often the
largest splenic tumors are more benign and the smaller less obvious masses tend to be malignant. Amber's only chance for survival was surgery and even then her
prognosis was guarded. For Amber's owner, the decision was clear. She had been an important member of the family for years, and now was her time of need.  Amber's surgery was extensive and revealed a 14 pound irregular splenic
mass that had been oozing blood into her abdomen. There was no visible metastases to her other organs. Numerous blood vessels were ligated with sutures and surgical staples to remove the diseased
organ. The histopathology report showed a mix of tumor types, which did not include the most malignant splenic cancer known as hemangiosarcoma.
Amber left the hospital weighing a mere 60 pounds and fortunately recovered without complications. Her anemia has resolved, she continues to gain back lost weight and just as important, her tail
wags again. She now takes her place back in the home of the loving family who placed their bets on Amber and won.
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