liveryblues
Well-Known Member
Hi there, my dog has just been diagnosed with osteosarcoma, I would really appreciate some first hand knowledge and experiences. I do know it is most likely not going to be a happy ending 
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OSTEOSARCOMAS, experiences and outcomes much appreciated
- Thread starter liveryblues
- Start date
cbmcts
Well-Known Member
I'm so sorry to hear that.
I did quite a bit of research a few years ago on the subject as my rott had a shadow on his leg xray after a prolonged period of lameness (happily, it turned out to be another issue) and while I was waiting for an appointment at the vet college I looked into the horrible disease. There could be more options for treatment now so you might want to ask for a referral to a canine oncologist if you haven't already seen a specialist.
As I understand it,
The options for treatment are amputation to remove the pain of the tumour in the bone but for longer than a couple of months life the dog also needs to have chemo as there is something like a 90% chance that there are little tumours (cluster?) in the lungs and chest. Chemo for a dog isn't as tramatic as a person but it is still regular visit to the vets, disruption and scarily expensive. Even then, life expectancy is only about a year in most cases.
I'm sorry I can't give anymore cheerful information.
I did quite a bit of research a few years ago on the subject as my rott had a shadow on his leg xray after a prolonged period of lameness (happily, it turned out to be another issue) and while I was waiting for an appointment at the vet college I looked into the horrible disease. There could be more options for treatment now so you might want to ask for a referral to a canine oncologist if you haven't already seen a specialist.
As I understand it,
The options for treatment are amputation to remove the pain of the tumour in the bone but for longer than a couple of months life the dog also needs to have chemo as there is something like a 90% chance that there are little tumours (cluster?) in the lungs and chest. Chemo for a dog isn't as tramatic as a person but it is still regular visit to the vets, disruption and scarily expensive. Even then, life expectancy is only about a year in most cases.
I'm sorry I can't give anymore cheerful information.
Booboos
Well-Known Member
So sorry to hear that!
Dizzy had an osteosarcoma scare in the autumn and we looked into it. Luckily in this case he was misdiagnosed, so the first thing I would say is get a referral to a bone cancer specialist vet and make sure you have had the correct diagnosis.
From what I could understand at the time, this is an aggressive tumour and by the time you see symptoms there is a high likelihood it will have spread to other parts of the body. Presentation of tumours in the leg usually means a 90% chance that there are tumours in the lungs. HOWEVER, dogs adapt really well to amputation (we were surprised to find this was the case even with larger breeds) and this can give them a lot of months of really good quality life. Chemo is also worth exploring, it doesn't have horrible side-effects in dogs as it does with humans and again it can seriously extend their life expectancy.
This is a great website with help on treatment alternatives, support for three legged dogs, personal experiences, etc:
http://tripawds.com/
Dizzy had an osteosarcoma scare in the autumn and we looked into it. Luckily in this case he was misdiagnosed, so the first thing I would say is get a referral to a bone cancer specialist vet and make sure you have had the correct diagnosis.
From what I could understand at the time, this is an aggressive tumour and by the time you see symptoms there is a high likelihood it will have spread to other parts of the body. Presentation of tumours in the leg usually means a 90% chance that there are tumours in the lungs. HOWEVER, dogs adapt really well to amputation (we were surprised to find this was the case even with larger breeds) and this can give them a lot of months of really good quality life. Chemo is also worth exploring, it doesn't have horrible side-effects in dogs as it does with humans and again it can seriously extend their life expectancy.
This is a great website with help on treatment alternatives, support for three legged dogs, personal experiences, etc:
http://tripawds.com/
Foxyfilly
Well-Known Member
Lots of good thoughts coming your way, I think amputation is needed and chemo
but you have to act fast.
I have a 3 legged dog who manages perfectly fine.
Good luck.
but you have to act fast.
I have a 3 legged dog who manages perfectly fine.
Good luck.