Skyler is a 6 year old, reverse Mantle, male Great Dane. He came in weighing 134 lbs and completely emaciated but has since filled out and is looking stunning as you can tell in the updated photos below. He was infested with fleas from head to toe and had sores because he had gone untreated for so long but is all healed now. Skyler is a typical Great Dane leaner and a true velcro dog who wants to be at your side non stop. He knows sit, shake, laydown, up, and is house trained, crate trained, and trustworthy with free roam. He is getting along great with the other dogs in his foster home and loves the dog park, but he would probably prefer a home without cats because he is a little too interested in them. Skyler deserves a much brighter future and can't wait to meet his forever family! He LOVES car rides and is a goofy, fun-loving guy who makes friends wherever he goes!
Medical Report:
Skyler has a 4.5 month history of numerous 5-10mm masses located in his skin, primarily on his ventrim and axillary reigon. He had a lump removed from his right thorax which was diagnosed as hemangiosarcoma based on histology. Skyler does not have systemic signs of metastasis that could be observed on bloodwork, radiographs, or ultrasound. However, hemangiosarcomas are highly malignant and highly metastic neoplasms that originate from the vascular endothelium. The most common sites for metastases are the spleen, liver and heart. Unfortunately, if the tumor was confined to the dermal layers, the behavior of the tumor would be much more benign. However, the pathologist confirmed that the deeper tissues were invaded (subcutaneous tissue) which is much more aggressive.
The median survival rate for dogs with hemangiosarcoma is 60 days without treatment. Chemotherapy has been shown to significantly increase the median survival of these patients (6-9 months). The decision was made to not treat Skyler with chemo at this time as this is unlikely to be curative. It would just be prolonging the inevitable and we did not feel it was worth putting him through all of that since it can make them very sick and uncomfortable which compromises his quality of life. They do not recommend removing any of Skyler's masses at this time.
Obviously, he is not an adoption candidate so we will be making him a permanent foster with our program. His foster mom, Chelsi, just can't bare the thought of abandoning him in his time of need and has graciously offered to allow him to spend his last days or months with them. The plan is to monitor for signs of weakness, collapse, pale gums, fast heart rate, etc, as this may indicate spread of tumor or spontaneous rupture.
Skyler went through hell before he found his way to BDHPI. He has been shot twice (the bullets were found on this last x-ray), abandoned, and almost starved to death and he has truly thrived in Chelsi's care as you can see in these before and after photos. He is a very special boy and deserves the world! We will not let him suffer, but hope that we can make sure he is spoiled rotten for however long he has left and are comforted in knowing that he is in such wonderful hands!
Updated Photos:
Original Photos:
