What Is Canine Osteosarcoma?

Canine osteosarcoma is the most common type of bone cancer, affecting over 8,000 dogs in the U.S. each year. It typically manifests in the limbs, but may appear in the spine, pelvis and skull. While osteosarcoma occurs mostly in older, larger breeds, it can strike dogs of any age or size.

  1. Symptoms

    • A limp or lameness in the affected limb is sometimes the first sign of osteosarcoma. There may be swelling over the bone, or the weakened bone may fracture with minimal stress. Over time, the dog might show loss of appetite or significant weight loss as a result of the tumor or the pain it causes.

    Treatment: Surgical

    • Surgical treatment involves removing the tumor, usually by amputating the limb. Some veterinary surgical referral centers offer limb-sparing surgery, removing the affected bone and replacing it with a donor bone. Chemotherapy is typically given in conjunction with either surgery.

    Treatment: Palliative

    • Palliative treatment will not cure the tumor, but will keep the dog more comfortable during this last stage of life. Radiation therapy eases pain by reducing inflammation. Bisphosphonate medication can improve a dog's lameness. Analgesics or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may alleviate some of the pain.

    Prognosis

    • A dog's average survival time after amputation alone is about three to six months. Surgery with chemotherapy increases the dog's average life expectancy to about one year. At two years, 10 to 20 percent of dogs who received chemotherapy appear free of cancer.