Osteosarcoma in Dogs?

Question

Our 6 yr old dog MIGHT have this, only the biopsy will confirm it. The vet is treating it as a bone infection, for now. We will follow up and discuss other options soon if no improvement.

Anyone have a dog that is going thru this, went thru this? How long did your dog survive? Did you do amputation? Did it help? Did you put your dog down? Any advice or recommendations?

Thanks so far for all your answers. I realize this is a terminal illness--aggressive and painful....so I am weighing all our options. The more info and stories---the better we can prepare and decide what our next step is. And still praying it is the slim chance--that it is the infection.

Answer 1

Hi, I am so sorry there is this possibility with your dog. I hope your dog doesn't have Osteosarcoma.
In Feb. 2004 my male Doberman was diagnosed with Osteo. I took him to a cancer vet specialist. Was told they could amputate, but the cancer had already spread to his lungs so doing an amputation was really out of the question. On Oct. 2003, that morning he wasn't doing good at all so I knew it was time to say good bye. I had my son help "Snoop" up into my SUV to go to the vet, but before I arrived there he had passed away. His cancer originated in his hip.

In Sept. of 2003 my daughter's Dobie boy was diagnosed with the same, but his was down around the ankle area of the back leg.
We talked to the vet about amputation & asked if the cancer had already spread to the lungs & was told it hadn't. ( After the fact, I think the vet lied about the cancer already being in the lungs ). We had the leg amputated & "Omar" got around just fine for awhile, but eventually became very weak. In March 2004 he was suffering really bad & we knew it was time to put an end to his suffering. We had to have him euthanized so the amputation did not help him.
Omar would have been 6 years old in June of 2004.
Snoop was 9 years old when he was diagnosed with this.
Snoop lived 9 months after he was diagnosed & Omar only lived 6 months after diagnosed & amputation. Of course the vet put both dogs on pain medication for the remainder of their lives.

Where in your dog is the Osteosarcoma located? Be sure to have your vet do a chest xray to see if it has spread to the lungs already.

I wish you and your dog all the best !!!!

Here's a couple sites you may want to visit.
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_canine_osteosarcoma.html

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=O&C=O&A=1035

Answer 2

The prognosis for osteosarcoma is poor, with the average life span with amputation and chemotherapy being just less than 1 year. The condition is quite painful and amputation is a necessary form of treatment unless you opt for limb sparing surgery where the limb is preserved but the cancerous part is removed. Usually by the time the cancer is found in the bone it has already metastasized to the lungs however there may not be any evidence of this on radiographs so sometimes it is a difficult call for the vet to give you an answer that is 100% about metastasis.
Your vet is doing the right thing by getting a biopsy, this is the only way to get a definitive answer. If your dog in the meantime responds to the antibiotics it will be a sigh of relief. Both osteosarcoma and osteomyelitis look very similar on xray and both cause the dog grief but the latter is responsive to antibiotics and should completely resolve so fingers crossed.
I am hoping for you, good luck with it all.

Answer 3

I went through this with my first Dane. I feel so sorry for you.
Lace survived for 18 months after the lump apeared. She was 10 yrs old which is up there for a Dane. We did not do amputation or chemo. When Lace showed me that she was in pain and could not bear it, I had her put to sleep.
She did this by refusing to come in the house. She laid on the porch and just lifted her leg each time I came out. Hardest day of my life. I still cry when I think of it.

Answer 4

I don't know about osteosarcoma, but one of my dogs (giant breed) developed a growth on his chest that eventually inflated to the size of a football. We started giving him a tablespoon of cod liver oil every day. The growth became softer and then burst one night, spilling only plasma and a few red lumps. That was about a year ago. Tex is 13 years old now, so surgery is not an option for him. We have one bowl of water (1 gallon - five litres) into which we put two millilitres of food grade hydrogen peroxide. The other bowls have fresh water. Tex prefers to drink the water containing the peroxide. I know from research that oral doses of cod liver oil dissolves tumours, but I do not know whether it will reverse the osteosarcoma. It will be beneficial to your dog in any case. I might as well tell you that I have a tablespoon myself every day, so don't let anyone, or the smell, put you off.

Answer 5

I have never had a dog with this, but I have seen a couple come in with it. Amputation is required simply for pain relief and to slow the spread if possible. It is a terminal cancer, so our vets don't do chemo. Some people may want to go on to the university for chemo, but the outcome is the same.

I'm so sorry.

Answer 6

Year ago we had a dog with it. He was 9 and a giant breed, so we did steroids and pain control and he was good for another 5 months. When the bad days became more frequent, it was time.

Answer 7

i'm unsure appropriate to the warmth. whilst my canine became into clinically determined i became into additionally bowled over and upset. The vet despatched her residing house on discomfort pills w/ 3 months to stay devoid of severe anguish. He instructed me that if the pills did no longer rot her abdomen first then the main cancers would take her. After prognosis of maximum cancers I gave her 2 months and a number of of alternative appointments to vet and desperate to place her down so she does no longer go through now no longer. it quite is been merely approximately 2 years now and nevertheless cry cuz I pass over her lots. it quite is somewhat demanding and attempt demanding to be reliable on your canine! call the vet place of work and ask questions or make an appointment so you might debate strategies. they might do amputation yet maximum won't promise it hasn't unfold. good luck, i think undesirable for you and your invaluable one!!!!!