My dog has got osteosarcoma. Surgery is not an option. Any one have suggestion on diet or vitamins. thanks?

Question

he is an 8 year old rotty. I want to enhance the quality of his life as long as i can. All the research I have done says 1-2 months after diagnosis they surcome to the pain and have to be put down. That just isn't good enough. I have to be able to do something. If anyone has been through this or has facts please let me know. Your input is greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

Acupuncture can help manage the pain. We did that for our Akita mix.

Answer 2

Osteosarcoma is an aggressive, highly metastatic cancer that requires an aggressive treatment protocol. Once the tumor has been positively identified as an osteosarcoma, the affected limb is usually amputated. In rare cases where the tumor is in the right location, some limb-sparing surgeries have been performed, but that is not usually the case. After the amputation, a course of chemotherapy is usually begun. The most successful drugs have been carboplatin and cisplatin. Carboplatin is more expensive, but safer and easier to administer. Doxorubicin is sometimes used as well. A qualified veterinary oncologist is often the best source of information and he or she will be aware of the newest chemotherapy protocols. The life expectancy of a dog with a properly identified and treated osteosarcoma varies greatly, but can approach a year or longer.

Answer 3

We lost our beloved Scottie to that a month ago yesterday. I cry as I write this. We decided that nothing we could do would change the outcome and I made the hardest decision of my life to let her go. She had been with me since she was 5 weeks old. She would have been 9 this July. I work at home and we were together 24/7. I will never be the same. I couldn't bear to go. My husband took her and returned home with just her collar and leash. We had her cremated and her remains sit in a urn in a cherished place in our home. Her picture is taped to my headboard and her leash and collar hang on my bedside lamp. She was on antibiotics and I bought gobs of homeopathic items, etc., etc., and the spread was unstoppable. I used all kinds of over the counter products hoping something would help improve the condition. The tissue starts to necrose and then comes the odor, blood and discharge. I knew my main concern was HER wellbeing, no matter that my heart was breaking. It is very very very hard and I am so sorry that you are going through this with your beloved companion.

Answer 4

Osteo is one of the most painful conditions known, and painmeds even the strongest one have little effect as it gets to the later stages, so you not be selfish be prepare to let h9im go before it get tod bad, the other problem is that the bone can become very fragile and sometimes they do fracture, you do not what to let it get to that stage where his last moments in life is suffering unbearable pain. you want him to being comfortable enough to know you are with him and love him when the time comes, it is a disease where is better to let go soon rather than too late

Osteo is one of the most aggressive cancers as well which is why the prognosis is so poor even with surgery.

As for diet cancers feed off sugar, carbs convert to sugar
so you need a food that is very low in carb but one that also be very digestible to help him maintain weight

So innova EVO is a good choice as it is very high in meat content and there is no grains in it

http://www.naturapet.com/display.php?d=product-detail&pxsl=%2F%2Fproduct%5B@id%3D'1246'%5D

there is a store locator on the site on the right.

You do have my sympathies, I lost my girl Callie 3 years ago to osteo, with it hitting about 70% of racing greyhounds, odds are my next 2 will also face this as well

Answer 5

speak to your vet. they may be able to refer you to an oncologist. the larger vet hospitals and vet schools usually have one on staff. I don't know if radiation or chemo could help at all. As far as releaving pain, there are medications that your vet can prescribe. You may start out on an NSAID like rimadyl but may have to switch to an opiod as pain becomes worse. It is hard to comment more without knowing the specifics of the case. So sorry for your pet, good luck in the near future.